Gender and policing: reflections on the role and capabilities of policewomen in New Zealand

Abstract

This thesis is about women in policing in New Zealand. It has as its focus, the roles and capabilities of policewomen as perceived by women officers themselves and some male colleagues in the late 1990's. The central question addressed is "What are the key issues regarding women's role and full participation in policing in New Zealand and how do these issues compare with the experiences of policewomen as reported in international research?" Both literary and qualitative research techniques were used to collect data for this thesis. This thesis draws upon women's experiences as the grounds for research and is informed by feminist standpoint theory. Using material from twelve focus group interviews, priority is given to the voices of women officers. This is because it is the women officers' perceptions of their roles and capabilities that are regarded as paramount. Combined with findings from a range of overseas studies on policewomen, conclusions are drawn and comparisons made. In this thesis I argue that the specific nature of police culture has an underestimated impact on policewomen. This impact is not limited to their professional development but extends to influence their self-efficacy. This thesis is concerned with documenting and analysing the roles and capabilities of policewomen in New Zealand and at the same time linking these findings to international studies.