"Doing" masculinity in police work: A study of the narratives of 'becoming' a police officer in Sweden

Sammanfattning: Police officer has been conventionally regarded as a masculine occupation, where values such as strength, aggressivity and, bravery are commemorated. In Sweden, a country that is highly regarded for its gender equality status, understanding how police officers navigate gendered expectations is crucial to understand the implications of gender in policing. The aim of this thesis is to understand the role of masculinity in the everyday practices that define a police officer. For this purpose, a process of triangulation combines discourse analysis of the National education plan for police and the three videos from the campaign “Are you ready for a bigger assignment?” [“Är du redo för en större upgift?”], together with the narrative interviews of six police officers. The findings show that masculinity works as a normative standard in police work and influences narratives and role constructions of crime and justice. Policewomen are excluded through the diffusion of stories about risky situations, discursive gendered boundaries and ‘punishing’ feminine practices.