KNOWLEDGE/

Movements

Alpha maleAlpha male: Alpha masculinity is a shorthand term used within the manosphere to describe ideals of masculinity emphasising dominance, assertiveness, toughness, strength, authority and independence.
The related concept of hypermasculinity refers to an intensified or exaggerated form of these traits, often associated with rigid gender roles and the rejection of perceived weakness. , IncelsIncels: Incels, short for Involuntary Celibates, is a self-description used within a specific online milieu of psychologically highly burdened young men.
They interpret rejection by women as the result of what they perceive to be an unnatural reversal of a supposed natural gender order. Feminism and women’s emancipation are identified as the cause. Although primarily rooted in online spaces, incel ideology has been linked to real-world violence. or Sigma BoySigma Boy: Sigma Boy refers to a 2024 internet phenomenon popularised through TikTok by Russian bloggers. The term depicts a mysterious and self-confident young male archetype. : the manosphere encompasses a range of movements and prominent figures. What connects them is a shared anti-feminist undercurrent.

The pull of the

MANOSPHERE

The boundaries of the manosphere are difficult to define. Many individuals are drawn to its messages, sometimes gradually and without clear awareness. Others actively seek belonging, recognition and identity within these communities.
Individuals may adopt elements of manosphere narratives without identifying with a specific movement or publicly presenting themselves as supporters. What matters is not formal affiliation, but receptiveness to the underlying ideological narratives.

A research group led by Professor Gülay Çağlar at the Free University of Berlin has developed a map of the German-speaking “Germanosphere”.⁷ The researchers identify seven key movements.

Pick-up Artists

present seduction as a strategic practice aimed at initiating sexual encounters with as many women as possible within a short period. Women are frequently framed as objects of conquest or status markers. Although Pick-Up Artists do not consistently promote an explicit anti-feminist agenda, they often rely on scientifically unsupported assumptions about “natural” gender roles and attraction. From around 2013 onwards, increasingly displaced Pick-Up Artists as one of the most visible groupings within the manosphere. At the same time, the subreddit r/MensRights played a central role in the expansion of manosphere discourse on Reddit. More recently, so-called have largely replaced Pick-Up Artists, rebranding elements of the seduction industry as commercially oriented self-optimisation programmes.⁸

Men Go Their Own Way

Men Go Their Own Way (MGTOW), is a self-description used by men who frame the rejection of long-term relationships and emotional independence from women not as a loss, but as an achievement. While some members pursue casual sexual encounters or engage with sex workers, long-term partnerships are generally rejected. Research indicates that adherents often express the belief that women exploit or manipulate men for financial security, status or reproductive advantage.⁹ Within this movement, men are frequently portrayed as naturally superior. Divorce law and legal systems are described as biased against men. Society is characterised not as but as and would destroy society.

Incels

, short for “involuntary celibates”, are predominantly young men who describe themselves as unable to form romantic or sexual relationships despite wishing to do so. Many experience distress, loneliness and frustration, often attributing their situation to perceived lack of physical attractiveness. In incel discourse, rigid hierarchies structure social perception. At the top are highly attractive “” and “”, believed to have unrestricted access to relationships. They are followed by “” or “normies”. At the bottom are those who identify as incels, understood as permanently excluded. Incel narratives often combine self-pity with resentment. A recurring theme is the claim that men have a natural right to sex or partnership, and that women’s emancipation has disrupted this supposed evolutionary order. Research indicates significant psychological distress within incel communities.¹¹ Some studies report high rates of suicidal ideation.¹² In online forums, misogynistic and violence-endorsing content is common. In several cases in the United States and Canada, individuals identifying with incel ideology have carried out deadly attacks, which are sometimes glorified within these spaces. However, a generalised demonisation of socially isolated young men is neither appropriate nor professionally responsible. From a specialist perspective, incel ideology presents a significant risk both to those who adopt it and, in extreme cases, to others.¹³

Men's Rights Activists

Men’s Rights Activists (MRA), more commonly referred to in German as Männerrechtler or , form a loosely organised network united by the belief that men are systematically disadvantaged by feminism and gender equality policies. They argue that a masculinist counter-movement is necessary. In more moderate strands, this is framed as a pursuit of what is described as “genuine” gender equality between men and women. In more radical strands, it includes explicit calls for the restoration of patriarchal gender order. The notion of “genuine equality” detaches individual experiences from broader structural contexts. It tends to overlook how family divisions of labour, pay inequality and gender stereotyping intersect. In this way, appeals to equality can function as a defence of existing structural male privilege. When such privileges are questioned, men’s rights activists frequently portray themselves as victims of so-called “state feminism”. Their arguments are often supported by selectively chosen statistics and framed in scientific language. Recurring themes include men’s health, vulnerability and victim protection. Although some issues raised refer to genuine social challenges, such as higher suicide rates among men or men’s exposure to violence in public spaces, these concerns are often detached from socio-historical context and instrumentalised. Selectively highlighted “equality deficits affecting boys, fathers or men” may function as recruitment narratives.¹⁴ More militant strands of the fathers’ movement, often referred to as fathers’ rights activists, can be understood as a subgroup of the men’s rights movement. In Switzerland, most organisations representing separated fathers adopt comparatively moderate positions.

Red Pill

adherents function less as a separate group and more as a connective element across different strands of the manosphere. The metaphor of the “red pill” is central to its ideology. The term draws on two cultural references. The first is the film The Matrix (1999), in which taking the red pill reveals a hidden reality. The second is the documentary The Red Pill (2016), which portrays the men’s rights movement in the United States. Within manosphere ideology, the red pill symbolises awakening to a supposed hidden truth: that society is manipulated by feminists and structured to disadvantage men. Discussions about how to “redpill” others, meaning to awaken them to this worldview, are central. To legitimise claims of male superiority, red pill narratives often invoke evolutionary biology and essentialist assumptions about immutable gender differences. The ideology may intersect with broader conspiracy narratives, including the so-called “Great Replacement” and antisemitic claims about global manipulation. Andrew Tate is widely regarded as a prominent global figure associated with the red pill ideology.

Masculinity Coaches

MasculinityMasculinity: Masculinity refers to the social and cultural expectations a man is expected to fulfil in order to be recognised as masculine.
Manhood, by contrast, refers to individual self-understanding and lived experience.
Terms such as masculinity norms, masculinity expectations or masculinity imperatives emphasise the normative character of masculinity.
The term toxic masculinity is widely used in public debate to criticise harmful patterns. However, because it can be perceived as accusatory, professionals often prefer more descriptive language. Research shows that rigid masculinity norms are associated with increased risks of violence and health-endangering behaviour. coaching has become an established field within and around the manosphere. Coaches offer programmes, courses and mentoring services centred on contemporary understandings of masculinity. Prominent figures are often referred to as “manfluencers”.
Their public presentation is typically characterised by pronounced self-confidence and the promotion of expansive, often “alpha”-oriented models of masculinity. The primary target group consists of boys, adolescent males and men who feel uncertain about masculinity in the context of changing gender relations.
Rather than supporting individual self-reflection, some masculinity coaches promote the revival of what is described as a suppressed or lost “authentic masculinity”. Emotional expression may be devalued as weakness.
A key distinction lies between genuinely transformative support services for men and masculinity-ideological programmes. Not all masculinity coaches adopt overtly aggressive tones. Some present themselves in spiritual, therapeutic or lifestyle-oriented formats. However, essentialist assumptions about “male energy” often remain central.
This concept of “male energy” may include strength and independence, but also traits framed as softer or protective. Yet these qualities are typically embedded within hierarchical gender models. Care may be associated with the role of protector, and fatherhood with the obligation to defend one’s family, even through violence if necessary.
Alongside relationship advice, recurring themes include physical strength, health, status, wealth, investment and career success. The guiding principle is often a neoliberal belief that men can and must optimise themselves through consciously “masculine” behaviour in order to achieve fulfilment.
By foregrounding self-improvement and concern for men’s wellbeing, underlying anti-feminist narratives may become less visible.¹⁵

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Anyone Can Become Rich

The Berlin research team led by Prof. Dr. Gülay Çağlar based on its empirical analysis of the German-speaking sphere, concludes that the manosphere encompasses considerable internal diversity. The strands range “from moderate to radical orientations, yet are connected by a shared foundation of misogyny”.
The researchers note that philosophical and religious approaches emphasising traditional values coexist alongside pragmatic, results-oriented discussions on dating, fitness and financial success. The misognyMisogny: Misogyny literally means hatred of women.
It refers both to individual attitudes that legitimise contempt or violence and to structural dynamics within patriarchal societies.
Misogyny functions as a control mechanism prescribing how women should behave and as a punitive mechanism when they deviate from these expectations. of the manosphere frequently overlaps with other forms of discrimination, including social Darwinism, racism, hostility towards people with disabilities, anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric, antisemitism and far-right tendencies. These may manifest in anti-democratic or anti-establishment attitudes.
Financially, the ecosystem is sustained through monetisation strategies such as exclusive paid content, merchandise and crowdfunding. Content formats range widely, from AI-generated media and podcasts to livestreams and conventional social media posts.¹⁶

An Australian research team led by Vivian Gerrand¹⁷ similarly identifies increasing commercialisation in what they describe as the “neo-manosphere”. “Much of this content promotes the myth that anyone can become rich if they simply work hard enough. It often functions as disguised advertising for influencers’ secondary ventures.
Male insecurity may be deliberately exploited to market individual “solutions” to structural problems. As Gerrand and her colleagues argue, “The manosphere is not only a reactionary site of grievance but also a profitable digital enterprise that reframes structural marginalisation as personal failure.”
The researchers further identify two significant developments:

The growing presence of women, particularly through the “tradwivesTradwives: Tradwives, short for “traditional wives”, refers to a social media trend in which influencers idealise domesticity, female self-sacrifice and traditional gender roles.
The trend often intersects with anti-feminist and traditionalist narratives.” trend, which combines anti-diversity narratives with advocacy for a return to traditional gender roles, often accompanied by strong commercial strategies.
Increasing ethnic diversity and the visibility of non-white actors within ecosystems of male supremacy. For example, on the incel forum incels.is, users identifying as white account for 13.9 per cent. Users of Indian descent represent 36.1 per cent, Black users 8.9 per cent and Asian users 13.9 per cent.

As a result, the manosphere may appear more approachable, more female and more diverse. This can make its underlying anti-feminist orientation less immediately visible.