Confronting Men's Discomfort: The Affective Dimensions of Masculinity in the Manosphere

During the 1960s and 70s, amid the second wave of feminism, the idea of "male emotional illiteracy" emerged, spotlighting men's difficulty in recognizing and expressing emotions as part of their identity, often viewing them as a sign of weakness. This was seen not only as a personal issue but a social one, hindering gender equality and prompting a focus on changing men's emotional lives within the broader discourse on masculinity.

Today, the conversation around male emotional repression remains contentious. While some research suggests that younger men are becoming more emotionally open, potentially advancing gender equality, others worry this openness may be superficial, merely softening the face of patriarchy while preserving underlying inequalities.

The debate is often constrained by two perspectives: biological determinism, which views emotions as innate but hidden, and constructivist determinism, which sees them as purely shaped by culture. To break free from this binary, Margaret Wetherell’s concept of “affective practice” is adopted. This framework understands emotions as fluid, evolving through interactions between our bodies, social relationships, and cultural environments.

In this context, social media play a pivotal role, not just as platforms for emotional expression, but as spaces where an “affective potential” is generated through interactions. This study applies an affective-discursive lens to analyze emotions within men’s rights activism, exploring how emotional narratives are justified and strategically deployed in digital spaces. It delves into how affective discourses within the manosphere reinforce male identities and shape emotional engagement.

Through interviews with members of a men’s rights group on Facebook, the research examines how emotions fuel activism and how online discourse turns them into "ordinary affective capital." As Sarah Ahmed suggests, this emotional economy helps build collective identities and social belonging, complicating the intersection of masculinity, power, and gender dynamics in today’s digital age.