Vad är problemet med att inte få ligga? En netnografisk studie om incels på Flashback Forum

Abstract

This thesis investigates what discourses are being represented in relation to incels, involuntary celibacy, in a Swedish context. The aim of the study is to deconstruct discourses that distinguishes in relation to incels on the Swedish open discussion forum Flashback Forum. The study was accomplished through a qualitative method where netnography was used in collecting empirical material, which thereafter was analyzed using the discourse analytical method What’s the Problem Represented to be. The analysis was based on data collected from a discussion thread that concerned incels on Flashback Forum, from where methodological selections resulted in a number of posts that formed the foundation of the analysis. The theoretical framework composes from a social constructivist approach where critical discourse analysis, hegemonic masculinity and intersectionality was utilized in analyzing the findings. One main finding connected anti-feminist, misogynistic and racist discourses to the discussions held on the forum, which most commonly was illustrated through the othering process of different categorizations such as women and people of color. Another key finding was the construction of different masculinities, which through constructing subordinated and ideal masculinities could be understood as the making of hegemonic masculinity. The constructions connected to incels by in one way or another explaining why, or in relation to what, incels exist. To conclude, the study discussed the relation between discourses constructed online and offline and how they supposedly interact.