The manosphere - a diverse ecosystem of online anti-feminist and male supremacist communities, influencers, and platforms - has emerged over the past decade as a significant site of gendered harm and ideological contestation. From incel forums and men’s rights activist (MRA) spaces to “red pill” influencers and anti-feminist social media channels, these online environments shape how some men and boys understand masculinity, relationships, and gender relations. In some cases, they contribute to the radicalisation of participants into misogynist extremism, with consequences that extend across online and offline contexts.
A two-day conference in Melbourne on July 13-14 will explore current and emerging research on the manosphere and intervention and prevention strategies. Titled Masculinities and Misogyny Online: Current Findings and Future Directions in Research on the Manosphere, the conference will bring together leading scholars, policy makers, members of the community sector. Presentations will showcase new research on the manosphere and digital misogyny, discuss the challenges of researching this area, and highlight strategies and interventions for responding to and countering manosphere-related harms.
The conference will feature presentations from leading scholars across Critical Masculinities Studies, Violence Prevention, Extremism Studies, Digital Media Studies, and Gender and Sexuality Studies, including:
Professor Debbie Ging (Dublin City University)
Professor Michael Flood (Queensland University of Technology)
Associate Professor Josh Roose (Deakin University)
Dr Krista Fisher (Movember Institute of Men's Health)
Dr Shannon Zimmerman (Deakin University)
Dr Simon Copland (Australian National University)
Dr Jared Dmello (University of Adelaide)
This conference will be of interest to researchers, policy makers, educators, and community practitioners working in gender equality, violence prevention, online safety, and violent extremism.
This conference will be held in a hybrid format, with both in-person and online attendance options. To ensure a safe and focused environment for presenters, audience participation will be limited to in-person attendees. Online participants will be able to view all sessions but will not be able to ask questions or contribute during discussions.