How universities can tackle misogyny in the age of the manosphere

“I dunno what that word means prof!” It’s a common (male) response when they hear the word misogyny. Yet it is the world’s most widespread, insidious prejudice. So good is it at shapeshifting and hiding under the surface, it has managed to evade becoming an “ism”. Instead, we have this odd, clunky word that sounds like it belongs in the past. 

If only! The belief that women are not just inferior to men but are inferior in ways that justify a range of harmful behaviours (from unfair treatment, to cruelty, to actual physical harm and extreme violation) has travelled down the millennium. As Jack Holland wrote, “Misogyny never let progress get in its way.” 

Currently it is spreading, in part due to social media. Louis Theroux’s documentary, Inside the Manosphere, features one aspect of contemporary misogyny – how impressionable, insecure young men can be “groomed” by online narcissistic influencers. The manosphere refers to a loose network of online communities focused on men’s issues and masculinity. Its mainstream, self‑improvement content is pushed towards male social media users without them searching for it. Nearly all young men with a smartphone under 25 will have been exposed to such content.

However, some UK government analysts of misogyny (it is now on the list of extremist types of behaviour considered a threat to UK security) feel the documentary made the problem seem trivial or amusing and took attention away from the victims. The manosphere can become a gateway to harmful gender ideologies. In its most extreme forms, involuntary-celibate (incel) ideology draws on pseudo‑scientific claims to frame women’s autonomy as harmful to men, which has directly led to misogynistic real-life violence.

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Similarly, hyper-negative, outdated views of women and how men should treat them are being reinforced by a wider toxic online ecosystem including OnlyFans and AI fake imaging. Recent research has shown that Gen Z men are twice as likely to Boomers to believe that women should obey their husbands. Prior to the age of the manosphere, misogynistic views were becoming less socially acceptable with each generation. 

Urgently addressing how this contemporary phenomenon is manifesting itself in the classroom is vital. The seminar is a fertile space for misogyny to incubate and potentially cause huge damage to a person’s sense of self-worth, and ability to progress. Academic culture can be an insecurity-mongering machine in any case. Built on hierarchy, it is still often a male-dominated, performative space. Female students and female teachers in particular might be exposed to incel attitudes in front of an audience. Meanwhile, everyone’s responses in the classroom could potentially be constrained unknowingly by the effects of the cultural “misogyny turn”. 

Understanding how students experience misogyny is a good place to start. One common way is the response a very bright, hardworking female student might elicit because she is doing well. The line between constructive debate and healthy criticism can be crossed when that person is repeatedly disagreed with, without evidence, and then blanked by one individual. 

Another change reported is that resentment spills over outside the classroom. The widespread use of chat rooms and WhatsApp offers the misogynist a quick and easy way to publicly humiliate an individual. Worst-case scenarios develop quickly and can escalate into more targeted online abuse and stalking.

Female teachers are also on the front line. Younger teachers can be a target of negative behaviour from an incel-influenced male student in the classroom. This can include talking while the teacher is speaking, audible comments that draw attention to the speaker’s appearance, designed to undermine and be heard by the group. This can then turn into challenging the mark given by the teacher. Again, creating an atmosphere of intimidation can potentially have the effect of limiting criticism in one-to-one feedback, and generally restricting open debate inside the classroom.

Age is no protection either. Incel culture may mock all vestiges of institutional culture and practice they find not to their taste, including other men. But it will be senior women academics who are also likely to bear the brunt of this mindset. For incels, women criticising their work or challenging them will be an affront to their worldview.

Confronting misogyny head-on in university classrooms

The good news is that many strategies and best practice already exist and just need reinforcing and extending. What works is setting the ground rules and awareness-raising early on. Those first course meetings and university inductions must include time allocated to discussing misogyny, its manifestations and a zero-tolerance approach.

We have a comprehensive culture-setting programme, for all our new arrivals, developed by the equity, diversity and inclusion team in partnership with the student union. Areas such as consent, power imbalances, harmful behaviours, relationships, boundaries and where to seek advice in worst-case scenarios are covered on an online Level one course. Peer-led, in-person, student-facilitated, scenario-based training is offered on a Level two course. Students and staff have a variety of safe and confidential reporting routes (including anonymous reporting). 

As Kayleigh Gibson found from her research: “active bystander” training and awareness really makes a difference. “Misogynistic behaviours are more effectively dealt with when they are called out at the time and when the intervention focuses on harm caused, rather than trying to prove what an individual believes.”

Best practice involves understanding what effective intervention looks and sounds like, and how to signal support without escalation or aggression. Students and staff need clearly signposted pathways to discuss their experiences and concerns with senior staff and trained experts. 

It is vital to address misogyny as a pattern of disruptive behaviour. Recognising how underlying attitudes fuel passive-aggressive and openly aggressive behaviours can prompt interventions before the environment becomes too disrespectful and intimidating for students to participate fully. 

It’s challenging. Can you ever change ideologically driven mindsets? It can be hard to engage with those causing the problems, when victims deserve your support and attention more. Plus, many of the worst types of misogynists are ones who operate under the radar, pretending to be allies, until you say no.

But it’s not all gloom and doom. The manosphere has fearless opponents in academia, from courageous female students and strong male allies to dedicated expert support staff. Writing as a historian, I’m hopeful for the future because now misogyny is more understood and talked about. A new generation of women (and men) are calling it out.

Joanna Lewis is the director of the Centre for Women, Peace and Security at London School of Economics (and Political Science).

With contributions from Kayleigh Gibson who works in the quality assurance curriculum management team and Heather Williams, a harassment and sexual misconduct policy adviser, both at London School of Economics (and Political Science).

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