Digitally Mediated Misogyny and Critical Discourse Studies: Methodological and Ethical Implications

Abstract

The loose network of anti-feminist men’s websites and social media communities known as the “manosphere” is receiving increasing attention in academia and the mainstream media. However, research into this phenomenon brings notable challenges. For example, because some manosphere communities are known for hostility or even harassment towards women, common guidance for social media research such as gaining informed consent and sharing results with the community may not be viable. In this article, I reflect on some of the major methodological and ethical challenges I have faced during the course of my PhD research into the manosphere and the ways in which my positionality as a female, feminist linguist has impacted my work. I discuss the discourse-historical approach to critical discourse studies and argue that it is a valuable, useful framework for a study of online misogyny due to its principles of triangulation and interdisciplinarity, and its empowerment of the researcher to take a critical, even feminist, stance on controversial issues.