|
This research seeks to describe the mechanisms through which police recruits become socialized into police culture. Data for the research were gathered through participant-observation at a regional criminal justice training center. Recruit classes from both traditional and new "scenario-based" curriculums were observed with special attention focused on the learning process. Using a Social Learning perspective, I describe some of the processes through which formal and informal rules and norms are communicated in the police training and socialization experience. In particular, I examine how various definitions are constructed during officer training, including the use of war stories, images of "good guys" versus "bad guys," and specific aspects of the scenarios themselves.
|
Updated 05/20/2006