Keynote speakers
Martta Ojala, Doctoral fellow at the Faculty of Social Sciences at Nord University
Real injustice, misdirected anger: understanding the anger of men’s rights activists through an intersectional and empathetic lens
Anger has often fuelled movements for social justice and has thus acted as a source for good – but what happens when anger fuels a movement opposing social justice? Such anger can be dangerous, but is it always fully unjustified? And how can we approach it productively?
In this keynote, I discuss antifeminist men’s rights activists whose community is built on anger towards feminists, women and society at large over the injustice supposedly thrown upon men. I argue that while much of men’s rights activists’ anger is unjustified and based on false grievances, there is also a justified part in their anger. The world is hard on men in many ways and they do face injustice. However, their anger is misdirected as the misogyny that is integral to their thinking makes them blame feminism and women for their struggles and, consequently, makes their anger dangerous.
I propose a way to analyse men’s rights activists’ anger through an intersectional and empathetic lens that considers the very real injustice men face without excusing misogyny or downplaying the dangerous aspects of their thinking. Understanding the intersectional roots of men’s issues is vital for shifting the focus away from women and to the social structures and forces that are behind men’s issues, such as class and wealth inequality, or “traditional” gender roles that affect all genders, but often differently. Empathy is equally important as one of men’s rights activists’ central claims is that no one, and most certainly not feminists, cares about men. Approaching their movement with empathy is therefore especially important. With this framework, it is possible to study the anger of men’s rights activists as arising from real injustice but as misdirected, an approach that sees hope in dangerous anger, as anger that is misdirected can also be redirected.
Bio:
Martta Ojala is a doctoral fellow at the Faculty of Social Sciences at Nord University, Norway, where she is writing her PhD thesis on antifeminist men’s rights activism on Reddit. In her thesis, she studies men’s rights activists’ perceptions of men’s position in society and how these are connected to their understandings of feminism. Her research interests include men and masculinity studies, antifeminist movements and digital media. Martta holds an MPhil in Gender Studies from the University of Oslo and an MA in Film and Visual Culture and Politics from the University of Aberdeen.
Call for Presentations
Anger is a healthy response to adversity, and an expression of frustration, but can be toxic when it is justified by fear or it is self-serving. It is on behalf of others, in service to a larger cause, that it reaches its most intense manifestation, as wrath, righteous and holy. This can lead to an all-consuming anger, and has started crusades, wars, protests and revolutions. Anger feeds terrorists and peace protesters alike. In today’s world the anger is all around us, from its sense of helpless frustration with what we can’t alter, to the fury of dictators trying to mould the world in their image.
After decades of considering anger a dangerous, unwelcomed emotion that should be contained and managed, we want to talk about the anger we see expressed in the media and in contemporary culture. This ranges from the keyboard warriors launching harassment campaigns to the organisation of resistance with physical and political consequences. Both destructive and empowering, in all its shapes anger fuels emotions and actions. Some topics to consider:
- Catharsis
- Retribution
- Hate speech
- Toxic fury
- Manipulation
- Affective tension
- Harassment
- Resistance
- Rebellion
- Loss of control
- Anger management
We accept discussions of Anger in for instance social and distributive media, editorial media, games, fiction, politics, online or contemporary culture, public discourse, as well as reported expressions and results of anger in other fields. Discussions on how to express, handle, release, overcome and take advantage of anger are all acceptable.
Who can submit
We invite all scholars working on topics relevant for the call. Please add your affiliation or alma mater to your submission, but let us know if you do not want it used in public.
Format
We invite abstracts of up to 500 words (not including literature lists), for the following formats: Paper, work in progress, reflection.
- Reflections: This is a flight of fancy, a description of potential ideas and connections that the concept anger fosters
- Paper abstract: This is a summary of a relevant research project you have done, and which you would like to present to the others
- Work in progress: This is work you would like feedback on
- We also invite more formats: experiences, performance, experimentation and roleplay
- Feedback: You will get a commenter, and be asked to provide feedback on the work of another person
Deadline
- Early deadline 23rd of March. We start accepting from this date
- First date of decisions: 27th of March
- Late deadline 20th of April
- Submit by email to northern.star.symposium@gmail.com
Selection process
Submissions are not anonymously reviewed. Program decisions will be made by the program committee:
- Mia Consalvo
- Tomasz Z. Majkowski
- Mark Maletska
- Lasha Kavtaradze
- Torill Elvira Mortensen
- Egil Trasti Rogstad
Supported by the local organizing committee:
- Kristian Bjørkelo
- Ida Løvdal Alvsen
- Cristóbal Mora Bieli-Bianchi
- Martta Ojala
- Anne Schäfer
