Perception and Role Concept

The term 'perception' deals with more than simply sensing a thing or accepting optical stimulation. Rather, it entails gleaning meaning from the things one views, hears, senses, smells and tastes (Pearson 6).

Role Concept: One may describe roles as being a collection of behavioral requirements and expectations linked to a station within any given societal institution or system, which may be outlined as follows: Objective (detached) Subjective (wholly personal) (Pearson 18) How does a citizen's perceptions of the police affect the way the citizen acts toward a police officer? Civilians normally do not pay attention to law enforcement officials unless they fall into trouble.

Instead of remembering law enforcement's public safety efforts, they remember the speeding tickets law enforcers impose on them. For instance, if policemen ended up saving one's life, this would greatly impact one's perception of them (Cubbage). When not on duty, the police feel alienated in society owing to the masses' present views regarding them. Their job isn't simple, but it has to be performed by somebody. Law enforcement circles fare better in societies that hold more positive opinions of them.

In such societies, their efforts are acknowledged and they garner public respect for the great responsibilities they carry out, with society members considering them a part of their group and not the 'big brother' who tells on others (Cubbage). List three factors responsible for difference in perception. a. The precise issues and requirements of people or groups of people. b. Individual persons' or groups' individual experiences with law enforcement. c. The media image of law enforcement authorities (Pearson 23). Describe the processes of generalization, deletion, and distortion.

Generalization: The mental process using which an individual uses a part of a model from first-hand experience and relates it to a whole group (Pearson 14). Deletion: This represents a process using which one can focus selectively on specific facets of personal experience, excluding other aspects. Individuals can filter their experiences whilst focusing on a given model (Pearson 16). Distortion: This is the third process of modeling which enables one to shift one's sensory information experiences (Pearson 17). Describe objective and subjective approaches to framing role expectations.

Objectivity necessitates viewers' determination, analysis and evaluation of information scientifically and objectively, without allowing preconceptions and individual liking and biases to affect the process. Meanwhile, subjectivity isn't linked to objective information. Rather, information is used to arrive at conclusions (Pearson 19). Identify and account for some of the conflicting perceptions that exist regarding the role of a police officer in the community. a. Law enforcement officers are criticized whether they do something or don't. b.

Law enforcers encounter the ethical dilemma pertaining to the extent to which they may bend rules prior to them getting violated. c. Law enforcers are expected as well as compulsorily required to convey, regulate, themselves display, and impose components of existence deemed worthy by persons, communities and countries, and that have been encapsulated in legal codes (Pearson 29). Name several factors and conditions of change in our society. a. The public-police bond is critical to acquire a reasonable, mutually acceptable law enforcement role concept. b.

Law enforcement administrators need to work towards overcoming past mistrust and formulating external and internal initiatives which aid authorities in: a. Better serve the public; b. Perceiving their personal roles more favorably; and c. Taking part in the development of public relations (Pearson 32). Identify some of the paradoxes and dilemmas our changing society creates for the police officer. a. Law enforcers aren't insusceptible to scenarios they are forced to encounter. b. They impact and regulate those scenarios.