Theorising Incels and Co.: A Multidisciplinary Literature Review of the Manosphere

Abstract

This article will scope out the field of manosphere studies, providing a literature review of relevant and timely research into the manosphere, with a particular focus on Incels. The paper employs a multidisciplinary approach, arguing that there are three key disciplines in which research into the manosphere is occurring. These disciplines are masculinity studies (understood, as explained below, as an offshoot of feminist studies), clinical psychology, and linguistics. However, this article proves that there is very little conversation between the research in different disciplines. The article will be structured around these three fields, though comparative analysis will be applied to indicate the overlaps and distinctions of the subject-specific literature.