African American Women And Diversity In Work Place

African American women effectively manage executive positions in the law enforcement agencies. Diversity is being embraced in the work place because of the positive contributions it provides in any organization that upholds it. However, race and gender discrimination still operates within organization structures regardless of how efforts to eliminate it have been advanced. Law enforcement agencies over time have considered women being unfit to undertake this positions as would in the case of men. This affected entirely on how the recruited women attended to their duties and rules. It became a basis for the recruitment force to select its employees based on gender. However, the case of African American women was much worse than the Caucasian women. Discrimination based on color dominates the agencies especially when it comes to AAW occupying executive positions considered to be for the White men. The scope of opposition in law enforcement agencies against AAW is much deeper and broader and men vocalize their concern in terms of physical capabilities of women. The assumption that integration of women in police patrol work and occupation of executive positions has threatened to compromise the way of life of police officers, their image, and even the way of life has undermined promotion of AAW in higher ranks. It has been considered that police work has been permeated with gender meanings, which constantly explain behaviors. Anything associated to feminine in the law enforcement world is undervalued. Creation of an idealized image of enforcement as action oriented and most specifically violent and uncertain has locked out women in successfully administering their duties in various higher positions. The remaining police work, which is non-violent, station work, and involving academy assignments, which are closely associated with feminine labor and mainly involved inside work, has been left for women to occupy. Gender discrimination is evident when men explain their duties in terms of physical difference and assert that women’s physical characteristics are the primary reason as to why AAW are less able to perform police work. The end has been associating women in a disadvantaged way in that women would not be of help to male partners in times of confrontations. White police officers continually believe that women are mentally weaker and hence unable to command public respect as other male officers. This to white officers threatens the basic norms of police work and will not break the code of silence.

Various studies indicate that it has not been taken lightly when it comes to African American women leading White men especially in law enforcement agencies. Discrimination is evidently portrayed on how inefficient AAW are in such executive positions. AAW are treated differently than other Caucasian officers in such positions. Therefore, women have to cope with gendered organizational policies and practices, working environments that are hostile and a masculinity occupational culture where every work belongs to the white. Even though legislation, judicial decision and executive action have altered eligibility criteria, assignment, selection standards and promotion practices that discriminated against women, AAW face stiff conditions in jobs they occupy. Culture, which shapes behaviors of individuals, has worse contributed to continuing resistance to women officers’ success and leadership roles. Men were reinforced, and were considered as having working-class culture and required values in the police department. This furthermore reaffirmed the superiority of the masculinity virtues, which still at the moment, are distinguished as lacking in AAW occupying various executive positions.

Feminist thinking in law enforcement firms and hierarchy indicate that promotion of women in higher ranks to rule men and manage them has threatened the roles of men and their cooperation. Law enforcement considers that AAW have no career in these jobs like men hence stressing the point of women being domestic slaves. Locking down the promotion of women in this positions due to their inability to work in the same way as men would has seen a higher rate in underrepresentation of AAW in the law enforcement firms. It indicates that job recruitment and subsequent promotion of AAW is based on gender difference rather than equals rights, which relates to performing specific social roles. Current research indicates that the public preferred male officers in incidents that are physically demanding and would therefore make a woman professionally unfit. However, the public would also demand a female officer in incidences involving sexual or domestic issues.

After 1970, antidiscrimination laws contributed to the influx of women into the police work including the AAW. Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity Act paved way in claiming respect to women having executive positions in law enforcement agencies. Recruitment practices were entirely modified and protection for the AAW was highly advocated.

AAW continue to be promoted in the supervisory ranks but remain underrepresented especially in higher ranks. This underrepresentation in the law enforcement firms and police management indicates how the occupation remains a gendered occupation. Even though various legislations have been passed and affirmative action is adapted to help reduce gender bias and racial discrimination in the work place, less has been done by those officers in duty to help reduce this effect. This is an indication that the rate at which AAW is being employed, which is extremely low, might have reached its peak. The positions they occupy in the lower supervisory positions might be their peak achievement rather than the beginning of rising to better positions. Opportunities for promotion exist in the law enforcement agencies but these positions have been reserved for whites and men operating in these departments. The police organizations have tried to embrace organizational approaches and changes to policing in order to embrace diversity at the work place. As occupations remain defined as masculine, AAW continue to fight for promotion to higher ranks and manage men. Resistance to integration and embracing of diversity has been a major issue resulting to underrepresentation of AAW in the police force. Even though several changes have been made in the police department, men still believe and insist that women cannot handle law enforcement work physically and emotionally. Men further demand that women should not be allowed to exercise the moral authority of the state and remain un-integrated into policing. This formed attitude has greatly affected police management by women in executive positions given them a hard time to display how effective and assimilated in men’s work women can be.