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Misogynistic Incels in Sweden: A narrative analysis of Swedish incels on Flashback
Swedish Defence University.
2025 (English)Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (Two Years)), 20 credits / 30 HE creditsStudent thesis
Abstract [en]

While recognized globally for being feminist and progressive, Sweden may have the highest number of incels per capita. Despite this, research has almost exclusively focused on incels in an American context. This thesis analyzes how Swedish incels on the discussion forum Flashback understand their political reality and what solutions they envision to address their status as incels. To that end, the thesis uses a narrative analytical framework to analyze the political narratives of the incels. The analysis reveals three political narratives: the provider displacement narrative; feminism as the dispossession of men; and the demise of traditional values. The analysis reveals an understanding of their political reality characterized by a positioning of themselves as victims while being superior to women, leading them to call for authoritarian measures such as restricting women’s independence and suffrage to restore societal order. This reveals the need to focus not only on incels’ victimhood but also their casting of themselves as superior. By utilizing a broader definition of violence, the analysis reveals how Swedish incels perpetuate structural violence against women while threatening democratic values. 

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2025. , p. 60
Keywords [en]
Swedish Incels, Misogyny, Narratives, Political narratives, Political Reality, Flashback
National Category
Gender Studies
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:fhs:diva-13741OAI: oai:DiVA.org:fhs-13741DiVA, id: diva2:1963330
Subject / course
Political Science with a focus on Crisis Management and Security
Educational program
Master's programme in Politics, Security and Crisis
Uppsok
Social and Behavioural Science, Law
Supervisors
Examiners
Available from: 2025-06-04 Created: 2025-06-03 Last updated: 2025-09-29Bibliographically approved

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CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • harvard-cite-them-right
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf