DIVERSITY IN UNIFORM

Focusing, in general, on diversity and diversity policy within organizations, and within police forces in particular, Diversity in Uniform presents various themes: namely, a conceptual exploration of diversity, an analysis of diversity and relevant research within European police forces, and a comprehensive comparison of the regional police forces in Catalonia and Utrecht. As such, the book is an inspiring contribution to the field, aimed at all researchers and public or private policy-makers that are interested in diversity. First, the book offers an analytical framework that identifies fundamental choices in the definition of diversity (the 'what,' or the ontological dimension), in the motivation for diversity within organizations (the 'why,' or the deontological dimension), and in diversity policy as an organizational strategy (the 'how,' or the instrumental dimension). Second, it provides an overview of empirical data on diversity within police forces in Europe, identifies important research gaps in the field, and proposes a comprehensive view to structure future comparative research. Finally, Diversity in Uniform compares two regional police forces (the Mossos d'Esquadra in Spain and the Politie Utrecht in the Netherlands) and shows similarities in definitions and motivations for diversity, but differences in approach. In doing so, the book demonstrates the academic potential of the analytical framework by applying it empirically, and confirms that diversity and diversity policy are multilayered concepts in theory and in practice.