Date of Award
Summer 6-30-2023
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department/Program
Forensic Psychology
Language
English
First Advisor or Mentor
Cynthia Calkins
Second Reader
Elizabeth Jeglic
Third Advisor
Jaqueline Katzman
Abstract
As online involuntary celibate (incel) forms have grown, they have become dominated by violent and misogynistic rhetoric. There have also been instances of offline violence being motivated by incel ideology and anti-feminist beliefs. Past research has established a link between inceldom and violent rhetoric through analysis of incel forum posts and activity. However, comparisons between non-incels and incels regarding masculinity and violence have rarely been conducted. We used a survey design to compare incels and non-incels on three factors: support for violence, inceldom characteristics, and internalized masculinity. Consistent with prior research, incels held more negative views of women and feminism compared to non-incels. The inceldom scale, developed using the findings of prior research on how incels view women and romantic relationships, was able to differentiate between incel and non-incels. Incels were also found to be more likely to support violence motivated by incel ideology where women were the primary targets, which is also consistent with prior research. Finally, incels were found to hold more traditional views of masculinity and to experience higher levels of conflict regarding male gender roles compared to non-incels.
Recommended Citation
Scarlott, Meghan, "Incels, Violence, and Masculinity: How Masculinity and Membership to Online Communities Shape Perceptions of Violence" (2023). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/jj_etds/291