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Man Up

The New Misogyny and the Rise of Violent Extremism
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Language: English
Published/Copyright: 2025

About this book

The revelatory and urgent story of how an explosion of misogyny is driving a surge of mass and far-right violence throughout the West—from an internationally recognized extremism expert and media commentator

What two things do most mass shooters, terrorists, or violent extremists have in common? Most of us know the first: they are almost always men or boys. But the second? They are almost always virulent misogynists, homophobes, or transphobes—even if they are also motivated by racism, antisemitism, or xenophobia. The antigovernment militiamen charged with plotting to kidnap and execute Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer used language saturated with misogyny, with one telling an FBI informant, “Just grab the bitch.” The men who killed scores at Virginia Tech, the Pulse nightclub, and a Maryland newsroom all had prior reports of stalking, domestic violence, or harassment of women. And in dozens of other incidents—from North America to Norway to New Zealand—an increasing number of misogynist incel (involuntary celibate) and male supremacist attackers have explicitly targeted and killed women, blaming feminism or sexual frustration with women as motivation for their attacks.

Yet, despite all evidence, the bright red thread of misogyny running through these attacks is barely acknowledged by the media or even experts—and this failing leaves us powerless to stop the violence. In Man Up, Cynthia Miller-Idriss, a leading expert on extremism, addresses this crucial oversight head-on, revealing how an epidemic of misogyny—both online and off—and a patriarchal backlash are driving an exponential rise in mass and far-right violence. She also offers essential strategies that all of us—including parents, teachers, and counselors—can use to fight the rising tide of violence, beginning with recognizing the misogyny that pervades our everyday lives.

Author / Editor information

Cynthia Miller-Idriss is a sociologist and professor in the School of Public Affairs and the School of Education at American University, where she is the founding director of the Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab (PERIL). An MSNBC columnist and a regular commentator in U.S. and international media, Miller-Idriss is the author of Hate in the Homeland: The New Global Far Right (Princeton), The Extreme Gone Mainstream: Commercialization and Far Right Youth Culture in Germany (Princeton), and Blood and Culture: Youth, Right-Wing Extremism, and National Belonging in Contemporary Germany.

Reviews

"Man Up is a bracing, vital intervention."---Roe McDermott, The Irish Times  --- "Clear-eyed and candid, Man Up is an insightful and essential reckoning with the misogyny fueling the fire of far-right violence"---Karla Strand, Ms. Magazine --- "A compelling case for treating misogyny as a security concern and offers a useful framework for integrating gender into violence prevention efforts."---Susan Szmania, Journal of Peace Research --- "It’s probably the most important book that I’ve read in ten years."---Emma Kennedy, The Bunker --- "We can’t recommend it [Man-Up] highly enough."---Matt Kelly and Matt d'Ancona, The Two Matts

Topics

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    Frontmatter

    i
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    Dedication

    v
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    Contents

    vii
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    Preface

    ix
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    Acknowledgments

    xvii
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    List of Abbreviations

    xxi
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  • Part I. Othering Gender
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    Introduction. Othering Gender

    1
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    1 Gendered Gaps in Extremism and Violence

    37
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  • Part II. Strategies of Enforcement
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    2 Containment: “Lock Her Up”

    57
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    3 Punishment: “Grab the Bitch”

    91
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    4 Exploitation: #SaveTheChildren

    120
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    5 Erasure: “Don’t Say Gay”

    144
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    6 Enabling: The White Baby Challenge

    165
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  • Part III. Centering Gender
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    Conclusion. Centering Gender: What Can We Do?

    185
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    Epilogue. My “Oh! Sorry, Ma’am” Era

    210
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    Resources for Parents, Educators, and Other Caregivers

    217
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    Notes

    225
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    References

    263
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    Index

    305
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    A note on the type

    319
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Publishing information
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook published on:
September 16, 2025
eBook ISBN:
9780691257600
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691257600
eBook ISBN: 9780691257600
Keywords for this book
Abortion; Abuse; Actors; Attacks; Attitudes; Backlash; Based violence; Binary; Boys; Broader; Child; Christian; Community; Conservative; Conspiracy; Culture; Erasure; Evidence; Expectations; Exploitation; Extremism; Extremist; Family; far-right; violence; Feminism; Feminist; Domestic; Games; Gender; Gender based; Girls; Media; Memes; Misogynist; Misogynistic; Misogyny; Mobilization; Moral; Mothers; Movements; Nation; Nazi; Neo; Norms; Online; Parents; Partner; Patriarchal; Patriarchy; Government; Harassment; Hard; Harm; Hate; Hateful; Health; Hostile; Ideology; Incels; Intimate; Lgbtq community; Mainstream; Masculinity; Mass; Engagement; Power; Propaganda; Qanon; Racism; Racist
Audience(s) for this book
For an expert adult audience, including professional development and academic research
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