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Inside the Incelosphere: Tracing the Origins and Navigating the Contradictions

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Inside the Incelosphere: Tracing the Origins and Navigating the Contradictions INSIDE THE INCELOSPHERE: TRACING THE ORIGINS AND NAVIGATING THE CONTRADICTIONS A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Special Case Master of Arts in Women’s and Gender Studies By Lee Williams August, 2020 Copyright 2020: Lee Williams UNIVERSITY OF REGINA FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES AND RESEARCH SUPERVISORY AND EXAMINING COMMITTEE Lee Williams, candidate for the degree of Special Case Master of Arts in Women’s and Gender Studies, has presented a thesis titled, Inside the Incelosphere: Tracing the Origins and Navigating the Contradictions, in an oral examination held on July 27, 2020. The following committee members have found the thesis acceptable in form and content, and that the candidate demonstrated satisfactory knowledge of the subject material. External Examiner: Dr. Murray Knuttila, Brock University Co-Supervisor: Dr. A. Brenda Anderson, Department of Women’s & Gender Studies Co-Supervisor: Dr. Dawn Flood, Department of History Committee Member: Dr. Patricia Elliott, Department of Journalism Chair of Defense: Dr. Marta Bashovski, Department of Politics & International Studies *Not present at defense Williams i Abstract Incel, an online community of men connected through their shared lack of intimate relationships with women, is often described as a monolithic misogynist group of privileged and entitled white men. My research has revealed that, contrary to this dominant narrative, Incel is a racially diverse space and that this description overlooks the complexities and nuances that define this community. Incel is the product of both twenty-first century communication technology and the rhetoric of mid-twentieth century men’s movements. The Manbox, the foundation for Western hegemonic masculinity after the Second World War, is the form of masculinity that was both critiqued and embraced by these men’s movements, and now by Incel. Central elements of Incel rhetoric, such as the de-politicizing of gender, the notion that manhood must be earned or achieved, and the belief that feminism created the lie of male privilege, mirror those of men’s liberationists and the MRM. This study involved a qualitative analysis of the Incel forum Incels.Co. Discussion threads were reviewed and selected for further analysis over five-months. Data on the demographics of Incels.Co members, the use of pseudo-science and views on sexuality and race provided an essential framework to understand better the four central themes developed through this research. The four themes are: (1) Masculinities; (2) Views on Women; (3) Masculinity and Violence; (4) Masculinity, Mental Health and Self Esteem. These four themes are defined by contradiction and paradox. How hegemonic masculinity, the dominant form of masculinity in Western society, operates on Incels.Co is complex and even contradictory. Elements of hegemonic masculinity, such as heteronormativity, are strictly reinforced, while others, such as physical strength and financial success, become prominent copes, ways to, potentially, escape life as an incel. At the same time, there is a critique Williams ii of the narrow standards of hegemonic masculinity, such as the expectation to remain stoic and emotionally repressed. There is a struggle to conform to these narrow standards and to deal with the consequences of failing to meet them, which data revealed to have a significant impact on the self-esteem and mental health of these men. This study revealed that women are caught in a Madonna/Whore dichotomy in Incel discourse; having the ability to lift men out of inceldom, their bodies and their love is desired. However, incels also view women as the cause of the problems they face; women’s hypergamy, feminism, and the biological urges that influence and drive women have created a society where incels cannot win. This narrative of Incel victimization is aided by the adoption of hybrid masculinities, which distance incels from male privilege (Ging 14). Women’s perceived violence against incels is used to justify violence against them, as to recognize women as victims would undermine the Incel narrative of victimization. Violence is a normalized aspect of the discourse on Incels.Co, through language and through the glorification of those comment acts of violence against women, used as a way to publicly perform and reclaim masculinity (Kimmel, Angry White Men 179). The findings of this study reveal that Incel is not a contemporary aberration of extremist views but rather is founded upon the rhetoric of twentieth-century men’s movements. Rather than a homogenous community with a common world view, Incel is a space of conflict, contradiction, and paradox. The Incelosphere’s misogyny and dehumanization of women represent the negative impacts of patriarchal Western society, amplified through the echo chamber effect. Incel also presents a valid critique of the narrow ideal men are expected to meet in order to be ‘a man’ and the detrimental effects this can have. Williams iii Acknowledgments I am indebted to my co-supervisors, Dr. Brenda Anderson, and Dr. Dawn Flood. Their expertise in gender and history helped me lay a solid foundation for my analysis and guided me through the challenges and uncertainties of my research. Their continued guidance and support of my work, balanced with reminders of the importance of self-care, helped me successfully complete a challenging data collection and research process. I also wish to express my gratitude to my committee member, Dr. Patricia Elliott; her advice and suggestions helped strengthen my work and aided me to accurately and effectively convey the findings of my research. I gratefully acknowledge the University of Regina for funding through teaching assistantships and the UR Graduate Scholarship, as well as the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research for funding through a Master Graduate Teaching Assistantship. In addition, I wish to acknowledgement the Government of Saskatchewan for funding through the Saskatchewan Innovation & Excellence Scholarship. I wish to acknowledge the support of my family and friends through my university career. They have helped me stay grounded, provided support and a space to step back when research became challenging. I would also like to extend a sincere thank you to my office neighbour across the hall. Her genuine care and acts of kindness truly made some difficult days of research so much better. Williams iv Post Defence Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge Dr. Murray Knuttila, who graciously agreed to be my external examiner. His questions gave me an important opportunity to reflect on my work and where I would like to take this research. His knowledge and feedback have helped me refine my thesis and have proven to be invaluable. I would also like to thank Dr. Marta Bashovski, the examining committee chair, for her time and work organizing this virtual defence. Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................................ i Acknowledgments.......................................................................................................................... iii Post Defence Acknowledgements .................................................................................................. iv Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 2: Methodology ................................................................................................................. 6 Chapter 3: Historical Analysis ...................................................................................................... 15 Early Twentieth Century ........................................................................................................ 15 Post Second World War ......................................................................................................... 16 Men’s Liberation ..................................................................................................................... 18 Divisions and the Men’s Rights Movement........................................................................... 23 Chapter 4: Contemporary Online Men’s Movements & Masculinities ........................................ 29 Masculinities: Power and Fear, Privilege and Pain ............................................................. 33 Chapter 5: The Incelosphere ......................................................................................................... 38 Chapter 6: Data Analysis .............................................................................................................. 50 Demographics .......................................................................................................................... 52 (Pseudo)Science in the Incelosphere and Defining Theories ........................................... 54 Sexualities ............................................................................................................................. 59 Race ....................................................................................................................................... 64 Masculinities in the Incelosphere: Navigating the Contradictions ..................................... 69 The Madonna and the Whore: Incel’s Views of Women ..................................................... 77
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