NCJ Number
53608
Journal
INTERNTIONAL JOURNAL OF CRIMINOLOGY AND PENOLOGY Volume: 6 Issue: 4 Dated: (NOVEMBER 1978) Pages: 363-371
Date Published
1978
Length
9 pages
Annotation
THE CONCEPT OF LEGAL EQUALITY IS CONSIDERED IN RELATION TO SOCIAL ORDER IN THIS STUDY OF POLICE OFFICERS IN THE ALACHUA COUNTY, FLA., SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.
Abstract
IT WAS HYPOTHESIZED THAT HIGH RANKING EQUALITY WITHIN A POLICE OFFICER'S VALUE SYSTEM IS ASSOCIATED WITH FAVORABLE ATTITUDES TOWARD THE RULE OF LAW. FROM A POTENTIAL SAMPLE OF 105 OFFICERS, 94 WERE AVAILABLE PARTICIPATED VOLUNTARILY. DATA WERE OBTAINED OVER A 5-DAY PERIOD IN DECEMBER 1974, AND TWO INSTRUMENTS WERE USED TO COLLECT DATA ABOUT VALUES AND ATTITUDES. WHEN DICHOTOMIZED IN TERMS OF SCORES ON THE RULE OF LAW INSTRUMENT, POLICE OFFICERS SCORING HIGH (FAVORABLY) HAD A COMPOSITE RANK OF 10 AND A MEDIAN OF 10.40 FOR EQUALITY IN COMPARISON TO A RANK OF 15 AND A MEDIAN OF 13.40 FOR POLICE OFFICERS WHO SCORED LOW ON THE RULE OF LAW. AS PREDICTED, HIGH RANKINGS OF EQUALITY WERE SIGNIFICANTLY ASSOCIATED WITH FAVORABLE ATTITUDES TOWARD THE RULE OF LAW. RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN RANKINGS OF EQUALITY AND ATTITUDES TOWARD THE LAW DID NOT CHANGE APPRECIABLY WHEN LENGTH OF POLICE SERVICE AND FORMAL EDUCATION WERE CONTROLLED VARIABLES. THEORETICAL ISSUES IN CAUSATION AND BEHAVIOR, PERCEIVED LEGITIMACY AND POLICE AUTHORITY IN SOCIAL ORDER, AND THE VALUE OF EQUALITY IN SOCIAL ORDER ARE DISCUSSED. NOTES AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (DEP)