Abstract
The United Nations Police (UNPOL) is a multinational police branch within the intergovernmental organization of the United Nations whose primary function is to reform, restructure, and rebuild host countries’ police forces in national crisis. Despite the significant global impact of UNPOL and the recruitment of officers from over ninety countries, the lived experiences of these officers have yet to be explored through a transnational lens. This research brings together the methodologies of the humanities and social sciences, Cultural Rhetorics and Criminology (decolonial theory, narrative theory, and grounded theory), to offer an analysis of how the multiple subject positions of UNPOL officers—race, culture, gender, and class—affect officers’ perceptions of training, peacekeeping practices in host countries, and reintegration to home countries upon the completion of peacekeeping missions. The findings of this comparative analysis of forty UNPOL officers from twelve developed and developing countries illuminate critical issues faced by officers, their families, host countries, and UNPOL policies. These include issues in 1) disparities in training and treatment due to race, class, and gender; 2) cross-cultural communication; 3) interpersonal relationships with family, locals of host nations, and colleagues; and 4) officers’ physical, mental, and emotional health throughout the deployment process. This work follows the imperatives of the 2000 Brahimi Report to increase the effectiveness of future peacekeeping by examining the potentials for ethical, culturally-responsive UNPOL peacekeeping practices through the eyes of its officers.
Presenters
Tabitha EspinaAssistant Professor, English/Writing Department, Eastern Oregon University, Oregon, United States Angelo Brown
Student, PhD , Arkansas State University , United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2021 Special Focus—The Opportunities of Crisis: Resilience and Change in World History
KEYWORDS
International Policing, Peacekeeping, Cultural Rhetorics, Cross-Cultural Communication, Identity, Global Policy
