Upcoming Event: Sexual Values in the Nordics and Beyond

Turku Institute for Advanced Studies (TIAS) and the project ‘Vice and Virtue in the Nordic and Germanic Countries’ organizes a workshop Sexual Values in the Nordics and Beyond.

When: 17 January 2025

Where: Edu 2, Educarium, University of Turku (Assistentinkatu 5, Turku, Finland)

I and Tiia Sudenkaarne (University of Helsinki) will present with the title Normalizing Sexual Extremism.

All too often incels (involuntary celibates) are discussed as if the problem with aggrieved men turning misogynists would be a social issue or a matter of male sexuality. Such a view ignores the fact that, according to statistics, most men without romantic or sexual relations do not turn to incels or other similar misogynist ideologies. We suggest that inceldom is best viewed in light of differences in personality traits, such as narcissism, which help to explain why only some men unable to attain intimate relationships turn to hate. If such differences in personality traits increasing the risk for aggression and resentment among lonely men are not properly taken into consideration, even discussions about incels risk normalizing the sexual extremist ideology which incels adopt, as if hate and aggression would be natural or acceptable reactions to personal misfortunes.