McGill study breaks down why so many ‘incels’ can’t or won’t get a job

A recent study from researchers at McGill University has looked into the connection between the incel movement and unemployment, finding that some incels have an ideological motivation for their refusal to get a job. Titled, “‘Don't Work for Soyciety:’ Involuntary Celibacy and Unemployment” and published in Gender, Work & Organization earlier this year, the study analyzes around 1,258 comments from 171 discussion threads from a popular incel website that were posted between Oct. 12 and Dec. 3, 2022 in an attempt to find the links between the incel movement and being a “NEET.”“NEET” is an acronym that refers to socially disengaged individuals who are not in education, employment or training. These ideals of social disengagement have permeated among incels, an online subculture of men who consider themselves “involuntarily celibate” and hold resentment against women and society for their perceived inability to find a romantic or sexual partner.“Understanding how these beliefs form is the key to finding ways to support and engage with these marginalized young men,” said McGill sociologist and study co-author Eran Shor in a news release.Two questions were central to the analysis: how does being unemployed related to incel ideology and what nonideological barriers do incels claim as reasons for lack of a job or education?The researchers found that most of the posts on the forum argued that being a NEET should be a praised and encouraged because it represents a “represents a form of incel rebellion against society.” There are some users who try and encourage fellow incels to go and get a job and give self-improvement a try, but these posts represent a minority of the comments.“They use employment status to assess the degree of commitment of their peers to incel identity and often encourage other incels to embrace a life of unemployment and isolation. Many also share the belief that the absence of a female romantic partner makes working pointless,” Shor said in a news release.A perception of discrimination in the job market was the most common theme discussed among the sample, appearing in 30% of the posts that were analyzed. Many forum users made claims of “job discrimination against unattractive men” and also blamed the growing entrance of women in the workplace.Commenters on the forum also expressed frustration over experiences of bullying, estrangement and marginalization in the workforce. Around 15% of the analyzed comments shared experiences of harassment at school or work. Many of the users also referenced autism and how “no one wants to hire an autist,” which is consistent with previous studies that have found that a disproportionate share of people in the incel community have autism.The researchers say studies like this one are important to better understand how members of the incel community and similar young men become susceptible to social disengagement. They say there is a need for better education, job training and mental health program, but further research is still needed to explore interventions to prevent young men from going down this path."Long-term change will require challenging harmful narratives about masculinity, relationships, and success. Instead of punishing incels or banning their communities outright, helping them reintegrate into society will be more effective,” Shor said.

McGill study breaks down why so many ‘incels’ can’t or won’t get a job

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