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Female Crime Fighters in Television and Film: Implications and Future Directions
Author(s) -
Davidson Janet T.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
sociology compass
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 31
ISSN - 1751-9020
DOI - 10.1111/soc4.12330
Subject(s) - drama , law enforcement , criminology , sociology , enforcement , work (physics) , popular media , focus (optics) , gender studies , media studies , political science , law , visual arts , engineering , art , mechanical engineering , physics , optics
This article examines the literature surrounding images of the female crime fighter in fictionalized television and film. The continued growth of the crime drama, alongside stagnant growth of women in law enforcement, necessitates a closer look at this genre. Current media images serve to reinforce women's roles as either support for male crime fighters and/or as highly sexualized members of the force. Work in this area demonstrates a large‐scale reinforcement of constructed gender norms that may impact how the women are treated on the job as well as their overall retention and recruitment in law enforcement. More scholarly focus on the media representations and related impacts is called for.