The Qualitative Study
The above-mentioned qualitative study was chosen for this review and analysis. The reason for choosing this research article is not only because of its intriguing perspective and theme (evaluation of experiences that women confront in a male-dominated field), but also because of its approach to reaching a conclusion.
It is clear that most law enforcement agencies still regard women as numerical oddity or tokens. which means that it is necessary to conduct further research to augment the conventional theory of tokenism used to explain the situation. This writer has selected this particular research because its theoretical framework examines the issue from different perspectives, including the stereotypes of gender, work, expectations, and police to establish guidelines for the conduct of policewomen in order to comprehend their occupational experiences. It is only through meticulous qualitative research (as accomplished by Rabe-Hemp's research), that stakeholders can identify the obstacles and resistance that female police officers experience and in turn, circumvent impediments that they face in their occupation. In addition, the author has applied different theories, including an analysis of the police culture, in offering an insightful look at the issues. Hence, the selected article presents the best choice as it augments its views with multiple sources that are credible, uses a purposeful sampling method, and ensures that its context is relevant to its ultimate purpose, as is held in "Case Study research in Practice" by Simons (2009).
The Research Focus Area
Towards this end, the proposed research focus area for this case study is gender and stereotyping in law enforcement. Quite clearly, expectations have been pegged on gender within the policing occupation. Thus, the research question would be "to what extent do gender and stereotyping affect the quality of female police officers' productivity?"
References
Rabe-Hemp, C. (2008). Survival in an “all boys club”: Policewomen and their fight for acceptance. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, 31(2), 251-270. [Case Study: Interviewing w/ Qualitative Content Analysis].
Simons, H. (2009). Case study research in practice. London: Sage.
