On today’s show, host Christina Lieffring speaks with scholar Mariel Barnes about misogyny online and in public life. They discuss the rise of what Barnes calls the “manosphere,” its rising influence on US politics, and how it leads to doxxing and violence. 

Barnes studies how this form of online misogyny took off around 2008 with the emergence of Web 2.0. She says that the manosphere is made up of “a group of loosely connected websites, blogs, and forums that share the belief that men are oppressed in modern day society because of women, feminism, and gender equality.” Even father’s rights groups have appropriated the strategies of women’s rights groups to make their positions more mainstream. 

Technology plays a major role in how the manosphere operates even though these groups have existed for some time, coming out of the women’s liberation movement. With the rise of the internet, people with extremist ideas were better able to find each other. Based on her research, Barnes says that the rise of the manosphere predates the rise of the alt-right. But now, algorithms are very good at feeding young boys and men extreme content. 

Barnes’ recent article, “The Manosphere and Politics,” coauthored with Sabrina M. Karim, was published in Comparative Political Studies earlier this year.

Mariel Barnes is an Assistant Professor in the La Follette School of Public Affairs at UW-Madison. Her work primarily focuses on the interaction between social and housing policies, and domestic violence.

The post Mariel Barnes explains the “manosphere” appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.