Guidance for Parents and Professionals: Welcome to the www.manosphere.ch platform, an initiative of männer.ch
Guidance for Parents and Professionals: Welcome to the www.manosphere.ch platform, an initiative of männer.ch
The question of how men can live well and confidently today is a legitimate one. Ideologues within the manosphere, however, falsely claim that this question arises solely because feminism allegedly violates “natural laws” and seeks to subordinate men.
Society is said to devalue an allegedly authentic, original or “natural” masculinity. This is framed as discrimination against men and as evidence that traditional masculinity is unfairly criticised under the label of toxic masculinity. According to this narrative, such developments lead to the weakening or “feminisation” of men.
Women, feminism, gender equality and so-called gender ideology are portrayed as responsible for these developments. They are depicted as deliberately driving these changes, benefiting from them and therefore as legitimate targets of opposition.
These narratives offer an appealing interpretative framework for men who feel disadvantaged or marginalised. They provide an explanation in which responsibility for feelings of insecurity or threat lies elsewhere. By externalising these concerns, individuals may regain a sense of certainty. At the same time, misogyny and fantasies of violence can be legitimised and reinforced.
During the 2010s, the ideological narratives of the manosphere were increasingly adopted and amplified by actors associated with the “new right”, including the Alt-RightAlt-Right: The alt-right, more commonly referred to in the German-speaking context as the “Neue Rechte”, is a collective term for far-right political movements advocating forms of male, Christian and white supremacy.
In the United States, elements of the alt-right gained mainstream political visibility during the presidency of Donald Trump (2016–2020 and from 2024 onwards).
movement in the United States. Veronika Kracher describes men’s rights activismMen’s rights activism: Men’s Rights Activism refers to an ideological current portraying primarily white, heterosexual, cis men as disadvantaged by women’s emancipation and feminist progress.
Activists claim to advocate for gender equality while grounding their arguments in a narrowly quantitative and ahistorical understanding of equality that neglects structural and sociohistorical dimensions of gender relations.
as a potential “gateway” to right-wing extremist thinking.2 The manosphere is widely regarded as an important recruitment space for far-right actors internationally.3
A PBS NewsHour segment examining why manosphere content appeals to some young men, exploring psychological, social and digital factors that contribute to its influence.
The Guardian examines the surge of “bigorexia” among young men, driven by social media, fitness influencers, and the pursuit of unrealistic body ideals. The report highlights a growing mental health crisis rooted in insecurity and financial exploitation from the supplement industry.
The development of the manosphere is closely linked to the expansion of the internet. Digital communication enabled individuals with specific interests to connect globally with like-minded others. This also facilitated the networking of radical and extremist movements.
Research indicates that online forums can function as comparatively protected spaces for ideological exchange, while large social media platforms are used to disseminate these narratives more broadly.4
The term “manosphere” first appeared in 2009 as a self-description in a blog of the same name. Through the book The Manosphere: A New Hope for Masculinity5, the term gained wider visibility and subsequently entered academic discussion.6
In his book, Ironwood outlines several ideological elements that continue to shape masculinity-based radicalisation narratives:
This narrative rests on a fundamental flaw: it isolates present social conditions from their historical context. Long-standing patriarchal and economic structures that shape contemporary societies are largely disregarded. Instead, current gender relations are portrayed as the result of a supposed feminist dominance emerging with the second wave of the women’s movement in the late 1960s. This interpretation is not supported by empirical evidence.
The manosphere raises many questions and unsettles parents, caregivers and professionals alike. We would like to offer you concrete answers, classifications and guidance for dealing with the content, attitudes and dynamics of the manosphere in everyday life and in discussions with boys and young men.
