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Individual Value Preferences Among American Police Officers: The Rokeach Theory of Human Values Revisited

NCJ Number
173168
Journal
Policing Volume: 21 Issue: 1 Dated: 1998 Pages: 22-37
Author(s)
J Zhao; N He; N P Lovrich
Date Published
1998
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This study used the theory of human values developed by Rokeach as a theoretical framework to evaluate value preferences among sworn officers in American police agencies.
Abstract
The specific issues addressed are the value orientations of contemporary police officers; whether such value orientations among officers have changed over time; and whether there is a consensus on values among officers, given the diversity in the ranks. Rokeach defined the concept of value as "an enduring belief that a specific mode of conduct or end-state of existence is personally or socially preferable..." Based on this definition, the concept of value reflects three essential characteristics: it is a cognition about what is desirable; it is affective, with associated emotions; and it has a behavioral component that leads to action when activated. The data reported in this analysis were obtained from a survey of employees of the Spokane Police Department (Washington State). A total of 199 out of 257 sworn officers completed and returned the survey; the demographic distribution of the responses matched that of the populations surveyed. The survey instrument included a section that featured the 18 Rokeach terminal value items; respondents were asked to rearrange values in accordance with the priority they attached to them. The findings of the survey are generally consistent across similar studies over some 20 years, suggesting that the value system of police officers has remained stable over time. Also, a high degree of consensus on values can be found among officers of the Spokane Police Department despite the presence of diverse officer characteristics, such as varying level of experience, level of formal education, and gender. This suggests that the hypothesized police subculture does continue in force and that the type of person attracted to police work differs little today from what it has been in the past. A noticeable finding of this study is the low ranking of the value of "equality" among contemporary officers. This value is closely related to the willingness of a person to help poor and minority residents solve their social problems. Disturbed by what he found, Rokeach called for a change of police officer values in order to have them become more responsive to the disadvantaged in local communities. 4 tables, 6 notes, 64 references, and appended Rokeach terminal values questionnaire

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