Misogynistic online milieus threaten liberal democracy in many ways. Repeatedly, these scenes have produced militant individual offenders. They also serve as spaces for dehumanisation and radicalisation. They act as recruitment platforms for right-wing extremist and, in some cases, Islamist movements, because despite ideological differences, these groups are united by a belief in natural gender inequality and male supremacy.

The misogynistic mindset of the Manosphere supports world views that are incompatible with individual freedom, equality before the law and democratic participation. A pilot study entitled “Mapping the GerManosphere” is the first to comprehensively analyse misogynistic online milieus, the so-called “Mannosphäre”, on the German-speaking Internet. “Mannosphäre” is a collective term for groups such as ‘incels’, ‘pick-up artists’ and ‘men’s rights activists’. Followers of these groups propagate misogyny, reject feminism and liberal social orders and spread fantasies of violence. The study was conducted by the Cluster of Excellence “Contestations of the Liberal Script (SCRIPTS)” at Freie Universität Berlin in collaboration with the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD).

Like the Manosphere, the German ‘Mannosphäre’ comprises various groups that blame women, equality and feminism for social ills and their personal unhappiness. These include:

• Pick-Up Artists (PUAs): PUAs teach men dating tips, including manipulation techniques. They use pseudo-scientific, sexist explanations for female behaviour.
• Incels (“Involuntary Celibates”): Blame women for their loneliness and reject modern gender roles out of a mixture of self-hatred and social frustration.
• Men’s rights and fathers’ rights activists (MRAs & FRAs): Claim that men are disadvantaged by feminism and call for a masculinist counter-movement – partly with the aim of restoring a social order in which women are subordinate to men.
• MGTOW (“Men Going Their Own Way”): Completely reject relationships with women, believe in natural male superiority and hold hierarchical theories of gender relations. Some MGTOW see women as “parasites” and view divorce law and other legal structures as deliberately anti-male.
• Redpillers: See themselves as “awakened” men who have recognised that they are victims of a gynocentric world. They often resort to evolutionary psychological explanations to justify male superiority. Their ideology often overlaps with conspiracy narratives such as the “Great Replacement” theory.

In the pilot study, expert interviews, digital ethnography methods and a network analysis were used to research these groups. Social media accounts with misogynistic content were collected, classified and analysed on platforms such as YouTube, websites and blogs. Social media metrics (likes, followers, views) helped to analyse the reach and networking of this content. In addition, systematic research notes were created and analysed comparatively.
In the network analysis, links between websites and guest appearances on YouTube channels were used to better understand the significance of individual actors and narratives.

Key Findings:

• International integration:  The narratives of the German-speaking “Mannosphäre” largely reflect the discussions in international misogynist networks. Key concepts such as evolutionary psychological explanations, “red pilling” as an ideological awakening and stereotypical hierarchical gender images can be found in both the German and global context.
• Similar structure to international networks: As in the English-speaking world, the German “Mannosphäre” consists of MRAs, PUAs, incels, MGTOW and redpillers. It also includes masculinity coaches who combine and commercialise red pill ideology with aspects of the pick-up artist scene.
• Platform behaviour: PUAs, redpillers and masculinity coaches mainly use YouTube and audiovisual platforms to link ideological messages with commercial services. Men’s rights & fathers’ rights activists favour websites and blogs for political campaigning and sharing personal experiences. Various anti-feminists, MRAs & FRAs are connected by website links. YouTube networks connect PUAs, redpillers and masculinity coaches through shared videos & cross-promotion, reflecting both ideological proximity and economic interests. Although the MGTOW movement is small in numbers, it is strongly networked with other misogynist groups. Incels in German-speaking countries are rare, but almost completely adopt the extremely misogynistic, antisemitic and racist narratives of the international incel scene.

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