Respect-building as Challenge for Modern Policing

• In Event: Contemplating the Meaning and Basis of Procedural Justice and Legitimacy

Abstract

In the course of societal change towards individualism, democracy, and maturity, police are no longer granted the citizens’ respect by their status but more and more have to earn it. This is especially true for police-citizen encounters when the use of coercive force is required. Matters are made even more difficult when police officers have to interact with migrants that bring their culturally-coloured (e.g., collectivistic, undemocratic, or submissive) expectations on how police have to earn their respect. Our research thus focusses on (1) German police officers’ understanding of respectful vs. disrespectful encounters and (2) German-Turks’ understanding of respectful vs. disrespectful encounters. Moreover, different meanings of respect as either dignity- or accomplishment-based (Darwall, 1977) are investigated. Following an explorative approach, 16 interviews of German police officers and 17 interviews of Germans with a Turkish migration background were analysed. Results indicate that both groups have a similar understanding of what dignity-based interactions should look like. However regarding accomplishment-based respect, understandings diverge. Propositions on how to extend existing theory on police-minority interactions are made, emphasizing the importance of respect-building policing strategies in future security research.

Authors

• Catharina Decker, RespectResearchGroup, University of Hamburg

• Joachim W. Kersten, German Police University