Reading the subreddit: Shame, restorative care and deradicalizing from the manosphere

Morin, Céline and Bowman, Paul ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9311-2391 2026. Reading the subreddit: Shame, restorative care and deradicalizing from the manosphere. Finlay, C. J. and Wenner, L. A., eds. Communication and the Crises of Masculinity: Beyond Man Shaming and Men Flaming, Routledge, Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

This article examines processes of deradicalization within the online manosphere by focusing on subreddits where users express disaffection with, and disidentification from, incel and related masculinist identities. We approach shame not as a mere symptom but as an affective force that can facilitate both radicalization and deradicalization. Inspired by Janice Radway’s Reading the Romance, we consider how these digital spaces reveal a surprising longing for romance among young men, often articulated through shame, lack, and hesitant hope. Situating these micro-processes within the wider entanglement of the manosphere with far-right ideologies, we argue that affective rehabilitation is crucial: what is damaged is not only the social bond but the very capacity for solicitude. We therefore propose ‘restorative care’ as a way to rehumanize women and reconfigure masculinities beyond fascist logics.

Item Type:	Book Section
Status:	In Press
Schools:	Schools > Journalism, Media and Culture
Publisher:	Routledge
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	2 April 2026
Last Modified:	29 Apr 2026 22:10
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/186155

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