The Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF) and the Global Network on Extremism and Technology (GNET) cordially invite you to a GNET Roundtable on Incel communities and Incel identities – Research, prevention, and technological counter-measures in the manosphere, taking place on April 19th, 15:00 – 16:30 CET, online.
Over the past years, multiple countries have seen severe examples of violent antifeminist radicalization, including killings in Isla Vista, USA (2014), Toronto, Canada (2018), and Plymouth, UK (2021). Multiple perpetrators were affiliated to so-called Incel communities of heterosexual men who are 'involuntarily celibate', i.e. do not succeed in establishing sexual relations with women. As part of the so-called 'manosphere' – an umbrella term describing misogyny-dominated online spaces that are used to discuss experiences of masculinity – the radicalization of these attackers has sparked increasing academic interest over the past years and research efforts conducted so far uncovered a significant overlap with the far-right. In order to better address those who identify with Incel narratives and prevent future violence, a more nuanced understanding of the manosphere, of Incel communities and their identities, as well as the digital context in which they are formed and maintained, is needed. This GNET Roundtable connects experts on antifeminism, the manosphere, Incel communities, and online prevention to discuss existing knowledge and paths forward. A special focus is put on the question of how Incels construct their (involuntary) identity, in order to explore entry points for communication with them as well as the question of how platforms can address this phenomenon.
We are excited to be joined by Greta Jasser (Fellow at the Institute for Research on Male Supremacism/Research Associate at FoDEx, University of Göttingen), Dr. Elizabeth Hintz (Assistant Professor of Health Communication at the University of Connecticut), and Stine Helding Rand (Psychologist with the Centre for Digital Youth Care, Denmark) as speakers, and look forward to welcoming many of you for an interesting discussion.
If you would like to join this Roundtable, please send an e-mail with your full name and affiliation to Mona Klöckner at PRIF (kloeckner@hsfk.de). Feel free to reach out if you have any questions.