Police culture and police mentality

 

1. Police culture

 

1) Foundation for the formation of Korean administrative culture

 

(1) Concept of culture

 

① Culture - A spiritual lifestyle formed by human groups living based on material relationships such as nature and the economy.

 

② Subculture and overall culture - interconnection

 

→ Administrative culture of a country - related to the general culture of that country

 

*Administrative Culture*

 

It is a consciousness structure (values, attitudes, belief system) collectively shared by administrative officials employed in the administrative system and is formed through interaction with civic culture.

 

(2) Foundation of Korean administrative culture

 

① Confucian culture

 

A. Emphasis on friendship and hierarchy

 

B. Distinguish between ‘unfamiliar and familiar’ and emphasize order among familiar things (cognitive assumption)

 

C. Appears as a structure of discrimination and hostility in the public sphere

 

D. Influence on Korean administrative culture

 

-Personnel policy tied to local and academic ties

 

-Emphasis on obeying social authority according to hierarchical structure -Criticism of superiors is prohibited, criticism and discussion culture is not established, and bureaucratic consciousness is prevalent.

 

② Military culture

 

A.Uniform thinking and black and white logic (dichotomous thinking) ex) If you are not an enemy, you are an ally

 

B. Efficiency-all-encompassing trend ex) If it can’t be done, make it happen

 

C. Order-oriented organizational operation

 

D. Influence on Korean administrative culture

 

-Emphasis on administrative efficiency ignoring democratic and legal procedures

 

- Top-down authoritarian organizational operation, administrative secrecy

 

 

2) Characteristics of Korean administrative culture

 

-Based on Confucian culture and military culture

 

(1) familialism

 

① Concept

 

-A behavioral pattern in which the characteristics of relationships between family members extend not only within the family but also to society outside the family.

 

② Positive role

 

-Spirit of mutual assistance, sense of loyalty, sense of trust, etc.

 

③ Negative role

 

A. Promoting self-centeredness - Excluding or being hostile to anyone other than the group to which one belongs.

 

B. The distinction between informal relationships or face-to-face importance and public affairs is unclear.

 

ex) Cronyism influenced by informal human relationships

 

(2) Authoritarianism

 

① Concept

 

A complex tendency to not take a tolerant attitude towards the opinions of others, to try to dominate others, and to like subordinates or younger people to always take a submissive attitude towards oneself.

 

② Attitude to classify all objects or people

 

③ Closely related to the patriarchal system

 

- Promote a sense of loyalty to elders and a sense of hierarchy

 

④ Negative role

 

A. Forcing blind and comprehensive obedience to superiors or higher-level authorities → Inhibiting the creativity and proactiveness of the organization

 

ㄴ.Unestablished discussion culture of equal relationship → Tendency for all administrative decisions to be made arbitrarily by superiors

 

C. Encouraging officials to think superior to the people → Difficulty forming a democratic public servant mentality

 

(3) Food, clothing and shelter

 

① Concept

 

-Trend that places excessive importance on forms and procedures

 

② Negative role

 

A. Following precedent, blind proceduralism, causing the ills of conservatism

 

-Created based on complacency and self-reliance

 

B. Rational and practical administrative activities are impossible.

 

C. Inhibition of creativity and efficiency of administration

 

D. Inconvenience to citizens receiving administrative services - Obstacles to implementing democratic administration

 

(4) static humanism

 

① Concept

 

-The tendency to consciously or artificially maintain close relationships with others

 

② If you do not handle your work with ‘jeong’, you will be criticized as being dishonest or inhumane.

 

③ Negative role

 

-Hindering administrative activities in accordance with fair, normative, and reasonable techniques

 

 

 

3) The reality of Korean police culture

 

(1) Authoritarianism in police administration

 

① Due to the nature of police administration, authoritarianism is emphasized

 

-Unique characteristics of work that require crackdown, regulation-oriented power operation, and dealing with criminals

 

② The perception of the police themselves as a ‘paramilitary group’

 

-Emphasis on paramilitary discipline, discipline, team spirit, and uniformity for efficient performance of police work.

 

-Strengthens authority

 

③ Authoritarian culture between top and bottom within the organization

 

-The commander has an X-type view of his subordinates and does not trust them.

 

-Organizational operation focused on direction, control, and surveillance

 

-Weakening autonomy, forcing only the hypocrisy of obeying and obeying others

 

*Type X view of people*

 

McGregor divided humans into type X and type Y human types. Human type On the other hand, the Y human type is a human type whose job is not painful, has the ability to control themselves, and acts responsibly. In this case, leadership is exercised for humanoid

 

 

 

(2) Food, clothing and shelter in police administration

 

① Result of control-oriented, authoritarian organizational management

 

② Loss of motivation to work due to lack of authority

 

③ Sensitive to self-protection and evaluation of surroundings rather than producing actual security services

 

④ Conservative tendency to handle tasks uniformly and appropriately

 

⑤ Stifles organizational creativity and causes administrative waste such as greed for prosperity

 

(3) Generalism of police administration

 

① Weak awareness of expertise in organizational management

 

② Consequences of lack of job analysis and training

 

③ Organizational culture lacking expertise

 

-An unprofessional way of thinking that everyone is the same no matter what position they are assigned to.

 

→Becomes the foundation for forming human relationships based on familism and static humanism

 

④ Characteristics of Korean society dominated by static elements rather than rational culture - distorted law enforcement

 

 

 

4) Evaluation of Korean police culture

 

(1) Overall immature culture

 

① Job principles such as democracy, ethics, professionalism, and reliability are at a low level.

 

② Inhibits the creation of healthy and original ideas

 

③ Weak judgment standards and ability to judge ethical values

 

④ Insufficient policies to improve expertise

 

⑤ Deterioration of trust among organizational members

 

(2) Problems with the method of changing consciousness and attitude

 

① Rely on temporary impact method

 

-Temporary attitude change by relying on coercive methods such as punishment, expulsion, and assessment, then returns to the starting point

 

② Inadequate incentive and compensatory prescription

 

③ Excessive expenditure of control and management costs for temporary effects

 

(3) Problems with the method of accepting organizational norms

 

-Excessive overconformity, formalism, obedience, or dramatic makeup.

 

① Excessive conformity - A conscious structure that prioritizes or replaces instrumental value over objective value ex) When work processing is delayed due to internal procedures

 

② Blind obedience - Failure to create an atmosphere for critical discussion within the organization and maintaining rigidity

 

③ Dramatic makeup - This is to pretend to be faithful to one's role and appears when the command and reporting system is too far from hierarchy and the method of sanctions is focused on punishment. False reports lead to arbitrary actions

 

(4) Lack of sense of public service and self-esteem and pride in one’s job

 

① Poor working environment and low salary

 

② Low social awareness of police officers

 

 

 

5) Direction of police culture development

 

-Must be converted to fit a democratic civil society

 

① The oriented value of public security services must be focused on citizens.

 

② Efforts to maximize citizens’ satisfaction with public security services

 

③ Continuous development of job skills and methods

 

④ Respect for creativity and spontaneity

 

⑤ Establish a clear position for your job

 

 

 

2. Police spirit

 

 

1) Definition and role of police spirit

 

(1) Definition of police spirit

 

-Ideological reality that is the source of historically and traditionally determined ideology that underlies the function and mission of the police and has faithful elements and forms in the consciousness of police officers.

 

(2) The role of police mentality

 

① The power to carry out the purpose of the police

 

② Providing standards for setting the direction of the substantive or normative attitude of police action

 

 

 

2) Historical flow of Korean police mentality

 

Period classification

 

characteristic

 

National liberation ~ 1950, before the Korean War

 

․After liberation, a modern national model was established by the US military government.

 

․Police established by the U.S. military government - focused on annihilating communism and public order based on anti-communist spirit

 

June 25, 1950 - End of war

 

․Establishment of national salvation spirit based on anti-communist spirit

 

After the promotion of modernization in the Third Republic until before democratization

 

․Reflects an authoritarian political stance that thoroughly suppresses society's demands for distribution and democratization.

 

․The main role of the police - city security

 

․Stigma of being oppressed by power

 

․Performing instrumental and instrumental roles as an order maintenance agency under an authoritarian system

 

․Negative citizen perception toward the police

 

 

 

3) Change to ‘democratic police spirit’

 

-As political democratization of Korean society takes place, all state powers have a duty to serve citizens and meet their demands.

 

(1) Establishing responsiveness to citizens

 

① Establishing a police image that citizens feel familiar with

 

-End of colonial police image and authoritarian police image

 

-Request for a democratic police force that protects citizens’ human rights and property

 

② Perform the police’s original function of maintaining social peace

 

(2) Seeking change from state-oriented police to citizen-oriented police

 

-The spirit of serving citizens → Establishing the police spirit of ultimately serving the nation

 

(3) Aim for democratic police based on clear awareness and reflection on police history

 

 

 

4) Proper police mentality

 

(1) Democratic spirit

 

① Derived from the constitutional ideology of liberal democracy

 

② It is premised on respect for human beings and consideration for the personality of others.

 

(2) Spirit of service

 

① Providing tangible and intangible convenience to others and providing mental and material pleasure

 

② Deep love for humanity and the mindset of sacrificing oneself for others

 

③ Establish new coordinates by accurately understanding the calling of the times and citizens’ desire for service

 

(3) sense of justice

 

① A spirit that does not tolerate injustice and pursues righteousness

 

② A sense of justice that realizes the dignity of the law and resolutely rejects lawlessness and disorder.

 

(4) Honor

 

① Excellent security service - derived from the true sense of honor of each police officer

 

-Appearance of sense of honor- Respect given by society for a person's status or achievements

 

-Inner sense of honor- A psychological state in which one feels satisfied and rewarded with one's work and accomplishments

 

② Each police officer is requested to take initiative so that the police organization can be honored.

 

 

 

 

3. Desirable meaning of loyalty

 

 

 

1) Meaning and types of loyalty

 

(1) Meaning

 

-Loyal mind and attitude devoted to the country, society, or specific people, groups, beliefs, etc.

 

(2) Type

 

① Loyalty to country and people ex) Joan of Arc

 

② Loyalty to one’s beliefs ex) Socrates

 

③ Loyalty to one's organization ex) Unity of police organizations in disputes over investigative rights

 

④ Loyalty toward a specific individual who recognizes oneself

 

ex) ‘A man sacrifices his life for a lord who recognizes him, and a woman puts on makeup for a man who recognizes her.’

 

 

 

2) The essential content of loyalty

 

(1) Contents of loyalty

 

① It requires self-sacrifice.

 

② Not considering one’s own interests in devotion to an object.

 

(2) Example of loyalty

 

quality

 

① Loyalty means loyalty to a certain object called ‘something’.

 

→The value meaning changes depending on whether the object expressed as ‘something’ is desirable or not.

 

② It is nothing more than a value-neutral predicate

 

③ Harry Blamires’ expression of loyalty

 

-The word ‘loyalty’ has nothing to do with moral meaning.

 

“Loyalty in itself is not an ethical basis for action. Loyalty to a good man, a good government, or a good cause is a different matter from loyalty itself. In these cases, if a person supports a man, a government, or a cause because it is good, he is supporting that goodness, not loyalty per se. In these cases, the basis of the person's action is ethical because it is for excellence. That is why loyalty is an inconvenience... In this sense, loyalty has nothing to do with ethics, or is a sham virtue that is abused to give a false ethical flavor to unethical behavior. The moment we utter the word loyalty, we feel a surge of emotional heat. In other words, it creates an emotional excitement that adorns the decision for a noble cause... In the end, we overlooked the need for a careful thought process... and relied on the superficial feeling of loyalty. Loyalty is an important concept in modern life, but it is causing a lot of harm to the ethical nature of ethics.

 

 

 

3) Police work and the meaning of loyalty

 

(1) Characteristics of police work

 

① Teamwork is required and we depend on each other for our own safety.

 

② Mutual support and dependence among police officers - an essential element of police life

 

→The need for teamwork became the basis for loyalty and loyalty to be accepted as virtues in police organizations.

 

(2) The meaning of loyalty within the police organization

 

① Demand of a democratic society - Loyalty to one's position, not loyalty to colleagues.

 

(However, the reason why loyalty between police colleagues is allowed is because of the nature of the police job → loyalty to colleagues is allowed to better perform the unique duties of the police)

 

② The value of loyalty within the police organization

 

-Based on the police function of protecting public freedom and safety

 

③ Loyalty distorted into fraudulent virtues

 

-Loyalty to the police organization with the intention of internally protecting against misconduct

 

ex) Loyalty in accepting punishment for the mistakes of a superior with whom one is related

 

 

 

4) Desirable direction of loyalty

 

(1) Loyalty that public officials must maintain

 

① It means dedication to the basic order of the Constitution and democratic ideology.

 

② Aiming for the universal interest of the country and all citizens

 

-Must not be associated with special interests such as any specific government or individual.

 

(2) Loyalty to the police organization, loyalty to superiors and colleagues

 

-Permitted when it fits the police duties assigned by all communities and is ultimately for the benefit of citizens.

 

(3) Priority of loyalty

 

loyalty to citizens

 

↑

 

loyalty to the organization

 

↑

 

Loyal to colleagues or superiors

 

 

Conclusion

 

The importance of understanding and addressing the cultural foundations of the police system.

Necessity for a balanced police spirit that aligns with democratic ideals and service to the community.

The nuanced nature of loyalty, emphasizing its alignment with ethical and professional standards.

Recommendations for fostering a mature and balanced police culture and spirit for the betterment of society.

 

 

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summary

 

• police culture

Influence of Korean administrative culture

Confucian culture: familism, authoritarianism, ritualism

Military culture: uniformity, efficiency all around

 

The reality of Korean police culture

Authoritarianism, ritualism, generalism

Evaluation: Immaturity, problems with the method of changing consciousness

 

Development direction: In line with democratic civil society

 

• police spirit

Democratic spirit, service spirit, sense of justice, sense of honor

Democratic police spirit

Responsiveness to citizens, from state-oriented to citizen-oriented, historical awareness and reflection

 

desirable loyalty

 

Meaning and types

Nations and peoples, self-beliefs, organizations, and specific individuals

 

essence and content

Self-sacrifice, dedication to the object

 

Police work and loyalty

Teamwork, loyalty to position, moral virtue

 

desirable direction

Constitution, universal interests of the country and all citizens, loyalty to citizens is priority

 

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key questions

 

What is the positive role of police culture?

 

Familism: mutual cooperation, consideration

Authoritarianism: maintaining order, efficiency

Ritualism: following procedures, formality

 

 

What is the core of police spirit?

 

democratic spirit

spirit of service

sense of justice

sense of honor

 

 

What are the priorities of desirable loyalty?

 

citizen

group

coworker or boss

core problem

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Key Questions

 

1. Which of the following cannot be considered a negative effect of police culture?

(a) authoritarianism (b) food, clothing, and clothing (c) generalism (d) familialism

Answer: (D) familism

Familism can play a positive role in encouraging mutual cooperation and consideration within police organizations.

 

2. Which of the following is not the core of police mentality?

(a) Democratic spirit (b) Service spirit (c) Sense of justice (d) Sense of honor

Answer: (D) Honor

A sense of honor is an important element of police mentality, but it is not the core.

 

3. Which of the following is an incorrect priority for desirable loyalty?

(A) Citizen > Organization > Colleague or superior (B) Organization > Citizen > Colleague or superior (C) Colleague or superior > Citizen > Organization (D) Colleague or superior > Organization > Citizen

Answer: (D) Colleagues or superiors > organization > citizen

The priorities for desirable loyalty are citizen > organization > coworkers or superior.

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Key Terms

 

police culture

Shared values, attitudes and belief systems within a police organization

 

police spirit

A desirable spirit that police officers should have

 

loyalty

Dedication and trust in the target