The MANOSphere Pill: Pathways of Boys and Men into Online Male Supremacism in Portugal and Ireland

ongoing

"This research intends to explore the discourses and social dynamics constructed on social media by manosphere groups, particularly Pickup Artist, InCel, and MGTOW communities, as well as its roots and if these discourses are successfully imported to the Portuguese and the Irish contexts, comparing both. The study will focus on the gender identity narratives created by men who identify with these groups or singular influencers with similar discourses. Pickup Artists and MGTOWs share the red pill theory which is characterized by a rejection of “the mainstream beliefs around gender”, i.e., the views of liberal feminists whom they believe are marginalizing men. To deal with it, they advocate for individual self-improvement and reject political correctness, and INCELs use the term ""black pill"" to describe the belief that there is no hope for them to have a romantic/sexual relationship, which can lead to radicalisation and support for violence against women. The main goal of this research project is to examine the construction of narratives about gender in Portuguese and Irish communities of men online; to explore how these communities represent and construct their identity, often through discourses of anti-feminism and misogyny, and how these representations vary across social media platforms and geographical contexts. MANOS will be informed by Critical Theory (Discourse, Narrative, Gender & Media Studies). The project will use a mixed-method approach that combines systematic literature review, critical discourse analysis & digital ethnography (non-participant observation, in-depth interviews & focus groups) to analyse the data collected from both online & offline environments. The research will ultimately identify and develop strategies to counteract the negative effects of these communities, promote gender equality, and the prevention of misogynistic violence by informing public educational policies about internet usage."