Degree Name
Master of Arts
Graduate Program
Criminology and Criminal Justice
Advisor
Mullins, Christopher
Abstract
Intersectionality describes the lived experiences that are uniquely shaped by an individual’s intersecting identities. Understanding these experiences and how they vary from context to context can be insightful for society in understanding mechanisms of oppression. Police departments have historically upheld toxic masculine standards that lead to discrimination against society and those within their walls. This paper seeks to understand why marginalized officers commit to the police subculture and behave in similar fashions as their privileged counterparts despite being discriminated against on and off the job and experiencing job stress and dissatisfaction. I argue that marginalized officers commit to the culture because of the costs of choosing their marginalized identity over their police officer identity.