Isabella Navia, FCLC 2024

MAJOR: International Political Economy

BIO: Isabella is a dedicated student passionate about combating extremism in virtual spaces. She is deeply engaged in the field of counter-extremism, focusing particularly on monitoring alt-right-wing movements and misogyny online. Through her coursework and extracurricular activities, Isabella seeks to deepen her knowledge of online radicalization and its societal impacts. With a strong commitment to promoting tolerance and understanding, she aspires to become an intelligence analyst upon graduation

PROJECT TITLE: "Patriarchy Unfiltered: Analyzing the Impact of Male Podcasters on Online Misogyny"

MENTOR: Zein Murib, Department of Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies

ABSTRACT: This paper examines male podcasters, a group of influencer-like lifestyle content creators who recently emerged as popular figures in the manosphere. While they share beliefs similar to Men’s Rights Activists, Incels, and Pick Up Artists, the new medium they inhabit (podcasts) and the rapidly growing popularity of male podcast figures creates an opportunity for further inquiry. This study uses Glaser and Strauss’ 1967 Grounded Theory Method (GTM) to iteratively hand code over 40 hours of male podcasting content from four podcasters to identify overarching themes. The findings document male podcasters' reliance on hegemonic masculinity, biology, gendered expectations, and male victimhood to promote a worldview that is demeaning to women. This paper also identifies the reliance on misogyny to promote other alt-right ideologies, noting that misogynistic beliefs act as a basis for more extreme assertions. This paper concludes by advocating for more robust research into gender-based harassment online and stricter moderation policies from large technology companies.