'Reflecting all shades of opinion'. Public attitudinal surveys and the construction of police legitimacy in Northern Ireland

This article examines the role of attitudinal survey data in constructing legitimacy for the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) in Northern Ireland. It argues that such surveys have been adopted as an important and influential instrument in the manufacture of consent in a society where the relationship...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Ellison, Graham (Author)
Format: Electronic/Print Article
Language:English
Published: 2000
In: The British journal of criminology
Year: 2000, Volume: 40, Issue: 1, Pages: 88-111
Online Access: Volltext (doi)
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Availability in Tübingen:Present in Tübingen.
IFK: In: Z 7
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Keywords:
Polizeiorganisation
Öffentlichkeit
Polizei
Legitimation
Gesellschaft
Nordirland
Description
Summary:This article examines the role of attitudinal survey data in constructing legitimacy for the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) in Northern Ireland. It argues that such surveys have been adopted as an important and influential instrument in the manufacture of consent in a society where the relationship between the RUC and the nationalist/Catholic community has historically been problematic. The article highlights a number of fundamental problems - both of methodology and interpretation - in the use of such surveys. Utilizing unique primary data it will be demonstrated that traditional attitudinal surveys have consistently over-represented nationalist/Catholic support for the RUC and drawn rather tendentious correlations between quality of service' delivery and issues of legitimation and public acceptability
ISSN:0007-0955
DOI:10.1093/bjc/40.1.88