Digital Masculinities in Crisis:Understanding Virtual Pathways to Male Extremism Across Communities

Abstract

This paper introduces the Digital Masculinity Radicalisation Pathway (DMRP) framework to understand how digital spaces amplify threatened masculinity towards extremism. We explore how online environments reshape masculine identities by conducting a comparative analysis of 215 young men from ethnic majority and Muslim minority backgrounds in Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, and the UK. We observe support for a distinct Digital Masculinity Crisis driven by economic insecurity, cultural shifts, and digital dynamics (accelerated threats, new status hierarchies, blurred boundaries, and transnational grievance). Findings show algorithms and influencers amplify insecurities and normalise extremism. The DMRP model highlights digital spaces as both refuges and radicalising forces. Examining intersections of race, religion, and class with digital masculinity, we offer insights for sociological theory on gender, technology, and extremism. This research informs policy and practice, addressing online radicalisation by providing a novel understanding of virtual pathways to male extremism across diverse communities.