Verkligheten – Here we come! En beskrivning av socialisationsprocessen hos studenter vid Växjö polishögskola

Abstract

This thesis investigates and emphasises on the way students at Växjö police academy describe their socialization into their profession as police officers and the creation of profession identity. The scientist’s main questions are: In what way do the students at Växjö police academy describe their socialization process into the police profession? What role does the organisation play in the socialization process of the police students? How do the students develop their police identity? Which qualities are encouraged? The study is based on qualitative interviews with nine police students, performed in groups of three. Group theory, role theory, and organization theory are applied to the material to provide an understanding through which it is possible to understand the process of socialization.

The study shows that there seems to be patterns in the description of a professional identity. All the interviewed students address the same issues and use the same type of police language. One of the purposes of the study is to provide an understanding of how strong the process of socialization can be when combined with a powerful organisation that needs similarity among its members to be effective. Furthermore the study will hopefully give a clearer picture of socialization as a process and explain some of the effects of the group and organisation on the individual.