Methodological foundations of the study of a police officer’s social portrait

The issue of methodological support for the study of a police officer’s social portrait has been studied. The presented results of sociological research clearly reflect the dynamics of trust in the police and understanding of its role in society, as well as the police career attractiveness among the Russians. The author states that the methodological basis for a comprehensive study of a police officer’s social portrait is insufficiently developed. For a deeper and more complete study of a police officer’s social portrait, a generalized model has been proposed that includes the main structural elements. These include the research paradigm, object and subject, methods of data collection and processing, analysis, ethical principles, validity and reliability, as well as results interpretation. The formulated structural elements of the methodological research provide an integrated approach to the study of a police offi ’s social portrait. Paradigms for the study have been proposed: objectivist, based on quantitative methods, subjectivist, based on personal experience and qualitative methods, and mixed. The emphasis has been placed on the need to carefully choose a paradigm that has a key impact on the entire course of research activities. The present study is a valuable contribution to research methodology development in the law enforcement sphere, which makes it possible to optimize the processes of selecting, training, and managing law enforcement agencies personnel.

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