Acculturation in Policing

Lets start off by defining what acculturation means. Acculturation are attitudes and/or beliefs modified as a result of contact with a different culture. There are 2 different models that can show this. The first model is the Linear Model, this is when acculturation is weakening of ethnic identity. The other model is the 2 Dimensional Model.

The two dimensional model is also known as Berry's Two Dimensional Model. There are 4 possible outcomes to the acculturation. The first outcome is assimilation. When this happens it is usually a movement towards the dominant culture. The second outcome is integration. integration is when you synthesis the two cultures. In other words, you are able to equally function in both cultures. The third outcome is rejection. Rejection happens when you are reaffirming the tradition culture. Lastly, the other outcome is marginalization. This is alienation from both cultures.

It is hard to describe and go into detail with acculturation in policing, but lets try and work through this.

With police brutality the model I will be using today will be the Berrys 2 Dimensional Model to describe acculturation. 

In the video above, you will see an officer playing with the neighborhood kids. With all the negative media going around, this may sound unheard of. We always hear all the negative stuff about police officers and how they want to pull their guns out any chance they get, or that they abuse there power. Even in the video the lady pointed out that when she say the cop car, she was worried for herself and her kids because of the negative stigma that they have. This video can be see as a integration outcome.

 

I believe that this is an integration outcome to the 2 dimension model because it is playing to cultures. Like yes, they have a job and sometimes that job includes being violent but that is not the only thing police officers do. The second part of their job is to serve for the community. This man is in uniform playing football with the neighborhood children. They are able to function into both cultures. He is doing his job by enforcing the law but he is also making sure that the neighborhood is okay.

 

Sometimes we often only see the bad in people when something is done but then we forget about all the good stuff that they do. I also once heard that "People do not like cops, until you need them" which I can see as true. People fear these officers but when they are in need of help that is the first person they call to solve all kinds of problems. I am not justifying that some stuff that police do are okay but sometimes we must step back from the media and see what is really is going on. What is being displayed? What is being hidden? What is being exploited? Is everything we hear in the media true? We also cannot judge the mistake of one officer on all of them. They are their own person and make their own decisions. We should look at both sides of the story. In every story there are 3 sides; His side, her side and the truth.