Online Hate, Digital Discourse and Critique
KhosraviNik and Esposito (2018) highlight the relevance of real or perceived anonymity in the occurrence of online bullying/hate/discourse. The freedom that people experience when their words are in no way linked or traced back to their identity can facilitate such behaviour – in the “apparent reduction in concern for self-preservation and the judgement of others” (KhosraviNik & Esposito 2018, p. 47). Hate speech
Hate speech is defined as the expression of hatred towards others for things such as religious group adherence or other “protected characteristics” (OSCE 2009: 37-46). The inclusion of gender within this definition has caused divide, with many definitions mentioning no inclusion of gender. So, where do the misogynous comments made by individuals daily fit in the realm of online hate? KhosraviNik & Esposito (2018) say the absence of gender in this discussion “epitomizes the institutional failure to acknowledge gender as a social factor that, per se, suffices to trigger hate” (KhosraviNik & Esposito 2018, p. 52). It seems hate speech is a term correctly used only for vulnerable minorities, but are women not vulnerable in the way they are targeted by sexism, objectified and dehumanised by a social construct so deeply ingrained within society? The ability for these ideas to permeate has increased with the introduction of the online sphere.
KhosraviNik & Esposito (2018) propose two particular aspects that require attention in the conversation surrounding online misogyny. The first is women’s precarity within the cybersphere – their chosen anonymity makes them less recognisable and their participation in the online public sphere may “translate into a non-compliance with the social norms of gender ideology,” in turn triggering misogynistic hate speech to maintain or restore a sense of order. The second is the idea that women’s voices within the online sphere are silenced in the asymmetry of their “ability to perform certain illocutionary acts, as measure of authority and power.” (KhosraviNik & Esposito 2018, p. 53)
Source: KhosraviNik M and Esposito E (2018). Online hate, digital discourse and critique: Exploring digitally-mediated discursive practices of gender-based hostility. (Links to an external site.)
