Male Peer Support and the Police Culture

Research has established the historical underrepresentation of women in policing and the oppression these women have faced in terms of occupational opportunities and social encounters with male police peers. Theories attempting to explain this dynamic fail to posit a direct link between a hypermasculine social structure and the adverse experiences of female police officers. Using Schwartz and DeKeseredy's (1997) male peer support model, this analysis seeks to explain the ways in which the police subculture functions to oppress women in policing. This is accomplished by reviewing the literature on police subcultures and women in policing and situating these findings within Schwartz and DeKeseredy's (1997) theoretical framework. Limitations of the theory are discussed and future research questions are posed.