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<p>While women are increasingly represented in policing, they remain a minority in quantity and continue to face barriers to equal and equitable treatment. Ambivalent Sexism Theory posits hostile sexism (antagonistic behaviors and attitudes towards women), and benevolent sexism (seemingly positive attitudes that perpetuate traditional gender roles), work together to uphold male-dominated, patriarchal, hierarchies. Existing research has primarily examined hostile and benevolent sexism in isolation, and there is a need to examine both constructs to holistically understand how sexism manifests in policing. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 19 Canadian active-duty officers (9 women, 10 men) to explore their perceptions of gender-based treatment. Analysis of data-driven codes reveal distinct themes: Hostile Sexism, Benevolent Sexism, and Responding to Ambivalent Sexism. Officers shared observations and experiences of ambivalent sexism throughout their careers, and how policewomen navigated ambivalent sexism from colleagues, superiors, and members of the public. Our findings reveal that although advances have been made in the representation of women police officers in Canada, hostile and benevolent sexism remain.</p>

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Ambivalent Sexism in Policing: Qualitative Interviews of active-duty Officers

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月22日

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  • Sarah Scott,
  • Rosemary Ricciardelli,
  • Judith P. Andersen

摘要

While women are increasingly represented in policing, they remain a minority in quantity and continue to face barriers to equal and equitable treatment. Ambivalent Sexism Theory posits hostile sexism (antagonistic behaviors and attitudes towards women), and benevolent sexism (seemingly positive attitudes that perpetuate traditional gender roles), work together to uphold male-dominated, patriarchal, hierarchies. Existing research has primarily examined hostile and benevolent sexism in isolation, and there is a need to examine both constructs to holistically understand how sexism manifests in policing. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 19 Canadian active-duty officers (9 women, 10 men) to explore their perceptions of gender-based treatment. Analysis of data-driven codes reveal distinct themes: Hostile Sexism, Benevolent Sexism, and Responding to Ambivalent Sexism. Officers shared observations and experiences of ambivalent sexism throughout their careers, and how policewomen navigated ambivalent sexism from colleagues, superiors, and members of the public. Our findings reveal that although advances have been made in the representation of women police officers in Canada, hostile and benevolent sexism remain.