Date of Conferral

2019

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Policy and Administration

Advisor

GLENN STARKS

Abstract

After the November 2015 Paris, France terror attacks when a terrorist posed as a refugee, the United States and other Western countries increased their concern regarding the flow of refugees into their countries. The United States admitted more than 84,000 refugees into the country from September 2015 through October 2016. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore and comprehend the lived experiences of law enforcement officers from the states of Michigan and Texas and their attitudes and behaviors toward refugees in their state. The main research questions addressed the lived experiences of law enforcement officers in the states of Michigan and Texas relative to stereotyping and bias toward refugees resettled within the US and If there are, how they view refugees and the greatest influences on law enforcement officers' perceptions towards refugees. Implicit bias theory provided the theoretical framework for the study. Data were collected using purposeful sampling and semi-structured recorded interviews of 9 law enforcement officers from the states of Michigan and Texas. This study findings suggested law enforcement officers’ early family experiences were related to stereotyping and bias toward refugees. The present research filled the gap in the literature by investigating if law enforcement officers have a stereotypical implicit bias toward refugees within the United States. The present study encourages positive social change through a qualitative prediction of law enforcement stereotypical implicit bias toward refugees.

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