International Journal of Communication Publishes a Special Section on Women, Antifeminism, and Platforms: The Discourses of Misogyny

Why are misogyny and antifeminism on the rise? What role do online platforms and algorithms play in perpetuating misogyny and antifeminism? 

The articles in this  Special Section on Women, Antifeminism, and Platforms: The Discourses of Misogyny, guest-edited by Miren Gutierrez, analyze how antifeminism and misogyny appear in attitudes, are disseminated in political discourses, or function to increase polarization online. This investigation sheds light on patterns that emerge in this type of discourse, including the idea that women in democracies have achieved equality, therefore, it is redundant to empower them. It investigates the crucial role social platforms play in spreading antifeminism and misogyny to neutralize women; the coincidence of the gender backlash with the political polarization and revival of old debates about the convenience of gender equality; and the gaps in institutional awareness due to a disregard ofgender and women’s perspectives. This Special Section is not the first to investigate theconnections antifeminism and misogyny in political discourse and people’s attitudes towards equality. Nevertheless, it offers novel insights into relationships between women, politics, and communication because of the mixture of methods (from discourse network analysis to a longitudinal comparative analysis of surveys) that serves to explore the centrality of gender in today’s far-right politics, political polarization, and radicalization.

The Special Section comes at a time when the far-right in Europe is experiencing significant electoral success. These parties often emphasize traditional gender roles, nationalism, and opposition to progressive values, a reaction to changes such as secularization and gender equality. The analyses in this Special Section connect cultural backlash, antifeminism, and misogyny with values, attitudes, political discourse, and online polarization. Rather than only examining what the far-right stands against, this Special Section also explores its proposals, with its complexities and contradictions. Thus, thearticles in this Special Issue are situated in the broader research on antifeminist values, discourse, reaction to equality, and hate speech by looking at emerging phenomena in international communication. 

To this end, we invite you to read these articles published in the International Journal of Communication on Monday, August 12th, 2024.

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Women, Politics, and Communication: The Discourses of Antifeminism and Misogyny in Europe —Introduction
Miren Gutierrez

Value Change Regarding Gender Roles and Backlash in Europe: Is Gender a New Polarization Element
Edurne Bartolomé Peral, María Silvestre, Ayauzhan Kamatayeva, Bogdan Voicu

Gender in VOX’s Ideology: Legitimization Strategy or Central Category?
Carmen Innerarity, José M. Pérez-Agote, María Lasanta-Palacios

Gender and Far-Right Women Political Representatives: A Twitter Discourse Network Analysis
Miren Berasategi Zeberio, María J. Pando-Canteli, María Pilar Rodríguez

Insta-Hate Toward Female Political Leaders: Six Case Studies From Instagram
Irene Pérez-Tirado, Adriana Carmen Calvo Viota, Belén Igarzábal

Resistance to Profem Employer Messages in Talent Attraction: The Case of Employer Femvertising Campaigns on LinkedIn
Garazi Azanza, Lorena Ronda, Begoña Sanz

Misogynistic Discourse, a Blind Spot in Definitions of Terrorism
Miren Gutierrez, María Lozano, Antonia Moreno Cano

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Silvio Waisbord, Editor
Kady Bell-Garcia, Managing Editor 
Chi Zhang, Managing Editor, Special Sections
Mark Mangoba-Agustin, Webmaster
Miren Gutierrez, Guest Editor

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