Summary
The problem of police brutality has become one of the most discussed themes in American society. Over the last few years, U.S. police officers have been involved in multiple cases of violence against civilians, including the deadly use of firearms. Whereas the controversial issue of police-involved shootings requires a thorough examination and gathering of demographic data, it is still possible to analyze it through the lens of social psychology. According to Chambliss (2006), bureaucratic organizations do not possess a life of their own. Consequently, the modus operandi of police departments should depend on recurrent interactions between society and police officers. Therefore, it should be possible to gain insight into the reasons behind police-involved shootings by applying specific social psychology concepts.
Concept 1: The Gloried Self
Celebrities, such as movie stars and professional athletes, may fall into the trap of losing their multidimensional personalities in favor of exaggerated public images created by the media. Adler and Adler (1989) expressed this scenario in the form of “The Gloried Self” — a socially- and media-reflected blinding self-image of glory. Their research studied the experiences of college basketball players who were universally treated with awe and respect and praised in the media. In the end, the players developed feelings of self-aggrandizement and self-importance. Some players tried to diminish those prideful thoughts; however, their sense of glory fed their egos, as they could not control it (Adler & Adler, 1989). As a result, the players lost the connection between their gloried selves and their other selves, becoming less aware and self-detached in the process (Adler & Adler, 1989). The gloried self altered athletes’ behavior and virtually consumed their self-conceptions and identities.
This concept can be extrapolated to the image and behavior of American law enforcers. Back in time, U.S. police officers were portrayed in a largely positive light as vigilant defenders of law and order. Various Hollywood movies and TV shows used the images of well-intended and honest police officers in leading roles. In the end, this gloried self might have potentially taken hold of the U.S. law enforcers. After all, drawing a gun and shooting someone is arguably easier if one perceives themselves as a stalwart defender of the law and the other person as a threat.
In this regard, the situation is likely to change after the recent protests against police brutality. However, the concept of gloried self is likely to work in the opposite way as well. As such, it is quite doubtful that disgraced and humiliated police officers would be able to work effectively. America may get rid of overconfident and self-righteous police, but replacing it with confused and insecure law enforcement would unlikely make a positive change. Furthermore, police-involved shootings may also result from socioeconomic factors, and this possibility should not be ignored.
Concept 2. Inner-City Code
One cannot deny that the work of police officers is associated with the risk of death. In certain settings, that risk may be higher, making the officers more likely to use firearms. Jones (2008) studied the impact of the so-called “code of the streets” or “inner-city code” on African American girls. Her interviews with teenage girls revealed that young Black women are equally exposed to inner-city violence compared to Black men of their age (Jones, 2008). According to Anderson (1999), the inner-city code is organized around “a desperate search for the respect that governs public relations” (as cited in Jones, 2008., p. 276). Additionally, the code demands one to be tough and be able to pay back for transgressions. In other words, Black people and people of other ethnic minorities often live in harsh, aggressive conditions, where one has to avoid being classified as “weak.”
Socioeconomic disparities in the inner-city create a violent environment, and the authorities often look for a solution in harsh policing. Police officers may receive specific service instructions to be stricter in the “troublesome” neighborhoods. Consequently, they may overreact, overestimate the danger, and use firearms unnecessarily. In addition, the code of streets would demand justice and likely lead to further escalation of animosity between the residents and police. Overall, harsh policing in struggling communities instead of solving their underlying socioeconomic issues should be considered a factor contributing to police-involved shootings.
Concept 3: Protecting the Routine from Chaos
Working in law enforcement is stressful; in this regard, police officers can be compared to healthcare professionals, such as surgeons. This notion means that law enforcement workers may develop coping mechanisms to defend their routine lives from uncertainty, which may drastically differ from everyday morality. Chambliss (2006) provided examples of how healthcare workers protect themselves from traumatizing experiences of their job. At some point, they start to keep going no matter what — the job takes priority over fear and disgust, and cynicism becomes acceptable for maintaining composure (Chambliss, 2006). One can argue that police-involved shootings may be explained by such kind of professional mindset. Police officers may shoot a civilian out of “better safe than sorry” thinking in order to ensure their survival in unclear circumstances. While such a pragmatic, if not cynical, attitude may save lives if a suspect is armed or acts aggressively, it cannot be used as a universal justification. Police officers should not be hesitant and incapable of maintaining order in the streets. However, they must be accountable before the law as any other citizen, especially if deadly force was used without a solid reason.
References
Adler, P., & Adler, P. (1989). The glorified self. In S. Cahill, K. Sandstrom & C. Froyum (Eds.), Inside social life: Readings in sociological psychology and microsociology (8th ed, pp. 217–226). New York: Oxford Publishing Press
Chambliss, D. (2006). Protecting the routine from chaos. In S. Cahill, K. Sandstrom & C. Froyum (Eds.), Inside social life: Readings in sociological psychology and microsociology (8th ed, pp. 337–346). New York: Oxford Publishing Press
Jones, N. (2008). Working “the code”: On girls, gender, and inner-city violence. In S. Cahill, K. Sandstrom & C. Froyum (Eds.), Inside social life: Readings in sociological psychology and microsociology (8th ed, pp. 275–279). New York: Oxford Publishing Press