Why is the proportion of women so low in the police's emergency response units? This question was the starting point for the research project presented by Dag Ellingsen and Ulla-Britt Lilleaas in Work Cultures and Gender in the Operational Police Force. The book addresses topics such as gender-based harassment, homosociality and sexualized abuse of power within the police. Ellingsen and Lilleaas demonstrate how these factors influence both the recruitment of women to operational positions and the challenges with retaining them. Readers also gain insight into the research process itself, from formulation of research questions to the handling of a sometimes turbulent public debate. The authors describe how their study “stirred up” a field characterized by powerful stakeholders, and how they navigated the crossfire of criticism and acknowledgment. At the same time, they reflect on the role of research in the public debate, and how methodological choices can contribute to challenging established truths. Work Cultures and Gender in the Operational Police Force is a peer-reviewed research monograph that will be relevant to students and researchers in police studies and gender research, as well as anyone interested in a critical analysis of the police.

This book is included in DOAB.