A Framework for Understanding the Manosphere

Abstract

The manosphere is an amalgam of misogynistic digital communities—incels, MGTOWs, MRAs, and PUAs—that, in recent decades, have shifted from complete ostracism to the mainstream. This study aims to provide a narrative review of the updated literature and to offer a critical framework for the understanding and studying the manosphere, structured around four dimensions: leadership, affordances, identity, and coordinated misogynistic practices. It concludes by outlining two key challenges facing manosphere research: advancing methodologically and avoiding the normalisation or even the whitewashing of misogyny.