Policing in a small society : The 'closely-knit' and underresearched Faroe Islands

• Main Author: Mikkelsen, Ingmar Berg
• Format: Bachelor Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Malmö universitet, Institutionen för kriminologi (KR) 2023
• Subjects: closely-knit; Faroese; Faroe Islands; Føroyar; Nils Christie; policing; small societies; løgregla; oyggjasamfelag; police; sambond; samfelag; smá samfeløg; smátjóðir; tætt knýtt; Law and Society; Juridik och samhälle; Sociology (excluding Social Work; Social Psychology and Social Anthropology); Sociologi (exklusive socialt arbete; socialpsykologi och socialantropologi); Halda; Hetta; Kalla; Nils; Faroes
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-61391

The Faroes are a rural, ’closely-knit’ (Nils Christie 1982), and unexplored society. Hardly anyone is a stranger. Neither are police officers and offenders. How does this affect policing? Based on 6 interviews with Faroese police officers and 3interviews with Faroese offenders, the ’living law’ (i.e., social norm) of Connection Seeking was identified. Analysis was done phenomenologically with thematic analysis and content analysis. The ’living law’ of Connection Seeking is a law that officers must heed to stay connected with society. This includes being friendly and behaving properly. To a high degree, Faroese officers succeed, sometimes at the expense of ‘law in books’ and ‘law in action’. Danish officers in the Faroes, however, fare worse. Findings suggest that Faroese officers show their Camaraderie and Appropriate Behaviour by being lenient, sympathetic, and trusting, among others, and that the ‘living law’ of Connection Seeking is a prevalent law in officers’ and offenders’ life-worlds. Føroyar eru fjarskotið, ”tætt knýtt” (Nils Christie 1982) og órannsakað samfelag. At kalla ongin er ókunnur. Eiheldur løgreglumenn og brotsmenn. Hvussu ávirkar hetta løgverjuna? Við seks viðtølum við føroyskar løgreglumenn og trimum við føroyskar brotsmenn varð ”livandi løgini” sambandssókn eyðmerkt. Greingina varð gjørt fyribrygdafrøðiliga við evnisgreining og innihaldsgreining. Livandi løgini sambandssókn eru løg, sum løgreglumaður má lýða til tess at halda samband við samfelagið. At lýða hesum løgum ber við sær at vera vinaligur og at bera seg rætt at. Í stóran mun eydnast hetta føroyskum løgreglumonnum, stundum við tí at skeita ”bókaløgum” og ”verkløgum” minni ans. Donskum løgreglumonnum í Føroyum hilnast verri. Fundirnir benda á, at føroyskir løgreglumenn sýna vinalag og góðan atburð millum annað við at vera lagaligir, várkunnsamir og við at líta á fólkið, og at livandi løgini sambandssókn eru løg, sum eru frammarlaga í æviheimi løgreglumanna og brotsmanna.