I've been thinking a lot about how society is trying to label incels as terrorists and what kind of consequences having such label can cause.
So after looking into this topic a bit I found about the labeling theory; It's this idea that when society labels a group of people in a certain way, it can actually make them more likely to behave in the way they've been labeled.
Think about it - when the media and normies constantly call us terrorists, they're not just describing us, they're defining us. They're telling us who we are and what we're capable of. And if we start to believe that we're terrorists, we might start to act like terrorists
Moreover, this doesn't apply only to terrorism; it's also true for many other labels applied to incels. The more you label, ostracize, and criticize us, the more likely "newer" incels are to sympathize with their fellow brocels and become more "radicalized."
Here is the framework of soft repression (which is closely related to the labeling theory) from a study I found; I will now apply it to incels to convey my point in a bit more detail:
This labeling leads to more radicalization as they feel they have nothing to lose since they’ve already been condemned. This is obviously exacerbated when you realize inceldom isn't even in your control.
To summarise: labeling incels as terrorists and other labels causes more radicalization and could end up being a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Source: THE CONSEQUENCES OF SOFT REPRESSION
So after looking into this topic a bit I found about the labeling theory; It's this idea that when society labels a group of people in a certain way, it can actually make them more likely to behave in the way they've been labeled.
Think about it - when the media and normies constantly call us terrorists, they're not just describing us, they're defining us. They're telling us who we are and what we're capable of. And if we start to believe that we're terrorists, we might start to act like terrorists
Moreover, this doesn't apply only to terrorism; it's also true for many other labels applied to incels. The more you label, ostracize, and criticize us, the more likely "newer" incels are to sympathize with their fellow brocels and become more "radicalized."
Here is the framework of soft repression (which is closely related to the labeling theory) from a study I found; I will now apply it to incels to convey my point in a bit more detail:
Individual Level: Self Policing and Fear of Social Sanction
This concept applies to incels quite well: when incels are labeled as terrorists and other labels it means being associated with incels and being one can severely damage a person's public image and result in social ostracism and conflict. This will obviously lead to feelings of social rejection. So to avoid this, incels choose to suppress their opinions and identity in public to avoid criticism or backlash.Organizational Level: Silencing and Administrative Sanctions
This also applies to incels: in the platforms where they gather they are banned a lot of the time or censored heavily (like on Soydit), this causes many to migrate to less regulated platforms (like incels.is) where more "extreme" ideas can be shared. This targeting of incels and censorship that's imposed on them eventually leads to even more resentment and radicalization, especially from those who are new to the community and feel oppressed despite not being as radical.Organizational Level: Confirmation and Radicalization
At this point you reach confirmation and radicalization, some incels may start taking pride in being considered a threat and will see it as proof that they have impact, regardless of whether they believe the label is justified. And of course, being labeled as terrorists will also be seen as proof that society is against them.This labeling leads to more radicalization as they feel they have nothing to lose since they’ve already been condemned. This is obviously exacerbated when you realize inceldom isn't even in your control.
Movement Level: Splintering
If some organizations within a broad social movement are labeled violent extremists, this can affect intramovement dynamics. The incel community could end up with different subgroups with different levels of extremism, this is kind of the case when you compare different incels from different platforms like soydit and this forum.Movement Level: Blackening
By labeling the entire incel community as dangerous terrorists you essentially destroy their image, which could lead neutral and less radical members to feel defensive and become more radical.To summarise: labeling incels as terrorists and other labels causes more radicalization and could end up being a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Source: THE CONSEQUENCES OF SOFT REPRESSION
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