True or False Incels: an analysis of the Incels.is forum

Involuntary Celibates, or Incels, have been identified as a part of the growing threat of misogynistic violence. Research into Incels has provided insights into the traits and narratives which drive the Incel movement. Prior research has focused on the individual Incels within the movement as well as the social norms that drive discussion. This thesis uses a corpus created from the Incel.is forum to present a mixed method approach of incorporating the narrative analysis of the Incel discussion with analysis into the greater social network structure of an Incel forum. The resulting analysis provides key insights into the Incel community pressures to avoid being labeled a fake member of the community. Furthermore, these findings point one of the potential mechanisms by which Incels are under social pressure to engage with more and more extreme ideology and allow for the tacit approval of violence within their community discussions.