The language of belonging: The role of symbolic language in shaping social identity and public perceptions of police gender targets

Abstract Gender‐targeted recruitment in policing has elicited varied public responses. This study explores public sentiment toward policing gender targets using a symbolic interactionist and social identity approach. A sentiment analysis was conducted on 5447 comments extracted from a Facebook recruitment campaign targeting women. The study revealed a nearly equal distribution of positive and negative language in the comments, with high levels of trust and fear, and notable expressions of anger and sadness. Positive sentiments utilised terms like “equality” and “merit” indicating support for gender targets as a means to promote gender equality and career opportunities for women. Conversely, negative sentiments centred on discrimination. Findings underscore how individuals construct meaning around gender and interpret gender‐target initiatives in policing through the sentiments expressed in online interactions. This research contributes to a nuanced understanding of public discourse surrounding gender targets, highlighting the importance of tailored recruitment and educational campaigns to promote inclusivity and effective gender‐targeted initiatives.