Identities in Police Organizations

• Grant number: 14/25159-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research
• Start date: September 01, 2015
• End date: April 30, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Applied Social Sciences - Administration
• Principal Investigator: Rafael Alcadipani da Silveira
• Grantee: Rafael Alcadipani da Silveira
• Host Investigator: Michael Pratt
• Host Institution: Escola de Administração de Empresas de São Paulo (EAESP). Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Boston College (BC), United States

Abstract

Public safety is one of the main challenges for Brazil nowadays and Police Organizations face significant problems. Although Police has been analyzed by the field of Management and Organization Studies, research about Police are in the early stages in Brazil. Drawing upon one year and eight months of ethnographic fieldwork carried out in the Investigative São Paulo Police, the aim of this research is to develop theory about police officers identity construction process as well as the identity construction processes of people with whom Police officers interact. Based on data already gathered in São Paulo, this proposal argues the need to carry out the remaining steps of my ethnography in the Boston College, center of reference in qualitative research in the United States. This proposal also aims to carry out fieldwork on the Boston Police Department. There are two expected results of this post-doctorate. First, to develop theory about identity in organizations from processes and sensemaking approach, an approach that has been little explored in Brazil. Second, in practical terms, this research contributes on bringing elements to rethink Police practices and organizations.