A Cross-National Analysis of Female Police Officers' Attitudes in the United States and Taiwan

This study empirically tests whether Taiwanese and U.S. female police officers differ in their attitudes toward police role and work. The authors argue that police officers' occupational beliefs and outlooks are mainly influenced by the social, cultural, political, and organizational contexts within which the officers work. Data used in this research were collected from 119 female officers in two Taiwanese departments and 110 female officers in two U.S. departments. The results indicate that Taiwanese policewomen display occupational attitudes that distinguish them from their U.S. counterparts. Specifically, Taiwanese female officers are more likely than the U.S. female officers to have a broad role orientation, favor aggressive patrol, be resentful of legal restrictions, and disapprove of selective enforcement. Implications for future research and policy are discussed.