Involuntary Celibacy and Singlehood: Gender and Vulnerability in Times of Precarious Love

The project investigates experiences of involuntary celibacy and singlehood. In particular, we are interested in what role conceptions of gender, sex, love and vulnerability play when various groups of people make sense of their involuntary celibacy and/or singlehood. Through a study of online forums, interviews and a survey, the project investigates both the online incel community, known for nourishing misogynist, pro-violence attitudes, and the everyday experiences of involuntary celibacy and singlehood in the broader population, including both women and men. Theoretically the project contributes to debates about recent transformations of the gendered conditions of intimacy and to conceptualizations of men’s experiences of vulnerability in a general context marked by male privilege.