“Foids have no soul, they are not human.” A sociological examination of the language used by an online male supremacy group. by Irina Levit A thesis submitted to the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Criminology Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities University of Ontario Institute of Technology (Ontario Tech University) Oshawa, ON, Canada June 2020 © Irina Levit, 2020 i THESIS EXAMINATION INFORMATION Submitted by: Irina Levit Master of Arts in Criminology Thesis title: “Foids have no soul, they are not human.” A sociological examination of the language used by an online male supremacy group. An oral defense of this thesis took place on June 15th, 2020, in front of the following examining committee: Examining Committee: Chair of Examining Committee: Dr. Christopher O’Connor Research Supervisor: Dr. Hannah Scott Committee Member: Dr. Peter Stoett, Dean Thesis Examiner: Dr. Thomas McMorrow The above committee determined that the thesis is acceptable in form and content and that a satisfactory knowledge of the field covered by the thesis was demonstrated by the candidate during an oral examination. A signed copy of the Certificate of Approval is available from the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. ii ABSTRACT The online incel community has seen a rise in participation and mainstream media attention, largely due to recent mass murders targeting women committed by self- identified members. Scholarship has therefore focused on the community’s relationship to violence and its highly misogynistic nature. Jock Young’s theory of human behavior underlying criminality, as described in The Vertigo of Late Modernity, was used to trace the path from globalization to liquid modernity to othering and, finally, to violence. Young’s work is key to understanding how an outgroup, in this case women, evolves from “us and them” to “us versus them” and finally to “threat”, using a dictionary created and maintained by online male supremacy groups. This thesis found that women are presented as sexual commodities, male and female hierarchies of value reflect gender- based criteria, and significant contradictions in worldview may be resolved through the presence of Hopeful and Hopeless pathways. Keywords: Jock Young; incel; misogyny; involuntary celibate; vertigo iii AUTHOR’S DECLARATION I hereby declare that this thesis consists of original work of which I have authored. This is a true copy of the thesis, including any required final revisions, as accepted by my examiners. I authorize the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (Ontario Tech University) to lend this thesis to other institutions or individuals for the purpose of scholarly research. I further authorize University of Ontario Institute of Technology (Ontario Tech University) to reproduce this thesis by photocopying or by other means, in total or in part, at the request of other institutions or individuals for the purpose of scholarly research. I understand that my thesis will be made electronically available to the public. _______________________________________ IRINA LEVIT iv STATEMENT OF CONTRIBUTIONS I hereby certify that I am the sole author of this thesis and that no part of this thesis has been published or submitted for publication. I have used standard referencing practices to acknowledge ideas, research techniques, or other materials that belong to others. Furthermore, I hereby certify that I am the sole source of the creative works and/or inventive knowledge described in this thesis. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis would not have been possible had it not been for the support, guidance, and thoughtfulness of many people. My deepest gratitude to Dr. Hannah Scott, my supervisor and mentor. You pushed me when I didn’t think I was capable. You showed compassion and understanding during difficult times. You encouraged me when I doubted myself. You went above and beyond the responsibilities of a thesis supervisor. I credit my growth as a scholar to your actions. Thank you to my committee members for your thoughtful comments and for taking the time to read my work. Thank you to Nadia, Heather, Trevor, Kellie, and the wonderful people at the Student Life Centre and Student Accessibility Services. The skills you taught me and the encouragement and support you provided helped me through some of the most difficult times. Your daily efforts are very much appreciated. I would like to also thank Dr. Otto Sanchez and Dr. Ronn Young. You didn’t know this when you were teaching your classes (neither did I!), but your clear passion for your work inspired me to pursue a career in academia. When I think about the kind of teacher I would like to become, I take your practice as example. Thank you to my family who supported me as I drastically changed my career and encouraged me to pursue my passion – I promise, I’m almost done, only one more degree to go! Words cannot express how grateful and appreciative I am for my husband. Your endless support in my endeavours have made this work possible. Thank you for taking time off work to watch our son so I could write. Thank you for being so gracious when vi I’m grumpy. Thank you for being my best friend, my rock, for helping me through the doubt and anxiety, and for letting me borrow your brain for brainstorming, editing, proofreading, IT support, and late-night discussions on misogyny and the construction of gender-based hierarchies. Thank you also to Izik – you are the coolest little human and an instant mood lifter. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Thesis Examination Information ………………….…………………………………….. ii Abstract ……………………………………………………………………………….… iii Author’s Declaration ………………………………………………...………………….. iv Statement of Contributions ……………………………………………………………… v Acknowledgements .………………………………………………………..…………… vi Table of Contents ……………………………………………………………………… viii List of Tables ……………………………………………………………..…………..… xi List of Figures …………………………………………………………….………….… xii Introduction ……………………………………………...………………………………. 1 Chapter 1: Research on the Area of Incels ………………………………………………. 5 Stream One: Understanding Involuntary Celibacy Within the Life Course Perspective ............................................................................................................. 5 Stream Two: The Interplay Between Incel Ideology, Misogyny, and Violence ... 8 Incel Worldview: Perception of the Self – A Narrative of Contradiction 11 Incel Worldview: Understanding Others – Misogyny Galore and Inclusivity of…Hatred ……………………………………..………...… 12 Understanding Incel Capacity for Violence ……………………………. 14 Chapter 2: Theoretical Considerations …………………………………………………. 20 Transition to Liquid Modernity………………………………………………… 22 Choosing Repressive Potential: How Ontological Insecurity Leads to Ressentiment …………………………………………………………………… 23 viii Invoking the Final Solution: Tracing Ressentiment to Violence ………………. 25 Importance of Language…………………………………….………………….. 30 Chapter 3: Data Collection ………...…………………………………………………… 33 Stance and Expectations …..…………………………………………………… 33 Selection of Data…………………………………………………………………35 Data Collection and Processing………………………………………………….38 Collecting the Dataset: a lesson in how to effectively transfer, store, and organize over 55,000 posts ……………………………………….……. 38 Collecting and Organizing the Dictionary ……………………………... 43 Chapter 4: Study 1 – Frequency of Dictionary Word Usage ……………………….….. 46 Methodology and Results………………………………………………………. 47 Chapter 5: Study 2……………………………………………………………………… 59 General themes of the incels.co forum…………………………………………. 61 The creation and maintenance of gender-based hierarchies……………………. 70 Linguistic markers elucidating mechanisms of generalization…………………. 76 Contradictions galore: Identifying conflicting worldview constructions through dictionary terms…………………………..…………………………………..… 79 Chapter 6: Analysis and Discussion……………………………………………………..83 Charting the Path of Dehumanization: How Young’s Theory of Human Behaviour Explains Dehumanization from Inception to Final Solution…………………….83 Transition to Liquid Modernity: Taking the Blackpill…..........................84 Choosing Repressive Potential: Ontological Insecurity in the Context of Incel Ideology..…………………………………………………….….... 88 ix Chaos of Reward: Constructing Women as a Zero-Sum Sexual Resource…………………………………………………...…… 89 Chaos of Identity: Incel Placement at the Bottom of the Social Hierarchy………………………………………………………... 98 “Foids like this deserve capital punishment”: Tracing Ressentiment to a Final Outcome……...………………………………………………….. 100 Resolving Contradiction: The Hopeless and Hopeful Pathways…………........ 108 Chapter 7: Conclusion, Limitations of Thesis, and Avenues for Future Research….… 111 Implications for Research……………………………………………………... 114 Limitations of Thesis…………………………………………………………...116 Avenues for Future Research…………………………………………………...117 References………………………………………………………………………………119 Appendices……………………………………………………………………………...129 Appendix A …………………………………………………………………… 129 Appendix B …………………………………………………………….……... 155 x LIST OF TABLES CHAPTER 4 Table 4.1: Top Ranked Dictionary Entries …………………………………………….. 50 CHAPTER 5 Table 5.1: References to Race and a Specific Person ………………………………….. 62 Table 5.2: References to Nihilism vs. Efforts at Improvement ………………………... 64 Table 5.3: Male and Female Ideals and Physical Appearance According to Incel Ideology …………………………………………………………………………………………... 68 Table 5.4: Male and Female Strategies for Sexual Success ……………………………. 69 Table 5.5: Minor Themes: Relationship/Sex