When patriarchy fails its own promises: A qualitative analysis in the normalization of violence against women in Incel communities

This thesis investigates how violence against women is discursively normalized within the online Incel community, a subculture within the broader online "manosphere", known for their lack of romantic experiences. Drawing on Michel Foucault's theory of discourse, power/knowledge, and normalization, this study conducted a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) of 60 posts from the forum Incel.is. The analysis identifies three dominant and interrelated discursive strategies: (1) Dehumanization of women, (2) Sexual entitlement and misogynistic resentment, and (3) Victimhood and anti-feminist backlash. These strategies function to justify violence by framing women as subhuman, sexually withholding, and hypergamous. Simultaneously, Incels are portrayed as biologically disadvantaged and socially excluded victims of a misandrist society. The study reveals how Incel discourse forms a coherent regime of truth in which gendered violence is framed as logical, justified, and even cathartic. Through rhetorical devices, such as metaphor, meme language, and humor, misogynistic discourse is rendered banal and thinkable. This discursive environment not only encourages symbolic violence but also desensitizes users to physical harm and radicalization. The findings contribute to the growing scholarship on digital misogyny by demonstrating how online spaces foster the radicalization of patriarchal grievance through linguistic repetition, identity formation, and a sense of belonging. The thesis concludes by assessing the broader societal implications for gender equality, digital platform governance, and the reproduction of structural violence in online fringe subcultures.