Masculinities in Cyberspace

An Analysis of Portrayals of Manhood in Men's Rights Activist Websites

Bibliographic Data

ID5933486
AuthorsR M Schmitz (0000-0002-3173-706X, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, corresponding author), Emily Kazyak (0000-0002-3488-5914, University of Nebraska–Lincoln)
Year2016
Volume5
Issue2
Pages18
Publication date2016-05-12
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSocial Sciences (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2076-0760 • E-ISSN: 2076-0760
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/socsci5020018
OpenAlexW2353376611
LanguageEN
Citations received56
References cited45

A growth in cultural ideologies concerned with men and masculinities in contemporary American society has recently emerged. Men's rights activist (MRA) groups embody a movement emphasizing the crisis of masculinity. Despite men's privileged societal status, MRAs seek to establish resources for men to utilize in elevating their perceived subordinated position in society in relation to women and social minorities. Little research has systematically investigated MRAs on the Internet, which is rapidly becoming a primary source of information and social connectedness for people. Through a content analysis of the 12 most prominent MRA websites, we explore the various strategies used by contemporary men's groups designed to provide support for men in their pursuit of social legitimacy and power. Two primary categories of MRAs with distinctive ideological strategies emerged from this analysis: Cyber Lads in Search of Masculinity and Virtual Victims in Search of Equality. Though both groups promoted men's entitlement to social power, Cyber Lads utilized themes of explicit aggression towards and devaluation of women, while Virtual Victims adopted political and social movement rhetoric to address men's issues. The implications of these websites are discussed in terms of gender equality and their potential effects on individual men and women

Entitlement (fair division · Ideology · Masculinity · Political science · Politics · Power (physics · Sociology · Gender Studies · Gender, Feminism, and Media · Law · Media Studies and Communication · Psychology · Social Media and Politics · Social Psychology

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Open DOISci-HubOpen Access