Manfluencers and the (re)construction of dominant masculinity in homosocial online groups

Abstract

This study explores manfluencers’ (re)construction of dominant masculinity in homosocial online groups. The research employs both quantitative and qualitative approaches to examine the narrative construction of texts circulating on a Telegram channel, identified as one of the least studied digital spaces within the manosphere. The choice of this outlet was primarily determined by its content, reach, and the regularity of its publications, that aim to promote the creator’s own self-help books. Findings reveal that the strategies used to sublimate the frustrations of young men are fundamentally rooted in the discourse of a quintessential ‘real man’, defined by the stoic virtue of self-mastery and the subjugation of women. The channel’s messages are driven by two core myths that underpin the manosphere’s value system: the centrality of female virginity and sexual exclusivity, and a longing for the lost paradise of patriarchal order. Additionally, the definition of gender roles is reinforced by the discursive construction of a series of passions that shape dominant masculinity. Biblical and classical sources from Greek and Roman historians and philosophers invoked to morally legitimize the premise that women’s dependence, along with the symbolic forms of control exerted by men, constitute the fundamental basis for the refoundation of masculinity.