Residents of Halifax do not perceive economic or social and cultural changes in their neighbourhoods; however, they do perceive those to the built environment.When residents of Halifax perceive changes in their neighbourhoods, they tend to be positive about them.Tabular and regression analysis show that sense of belonging increases positive perceptions of neighbourhood change and older age decreases positive views of change.Common stereotypes portray Atlantic Canadians as resistant to change. Our survey of Halifax residents challenges that view by assessing openness to three broad measures of neighbourhood change. Although most Haligonians do not perceive changes in their neighbourhoods, those who do generally perceive them for the better. Data show that sense of belonging to neighbourhoods and respondent age have a positive effect on perceptions of change. As Halifax neighbourhoods are transforming physically, economically, and socially, few Haligonians see that as problematic.

This paper uses computational data and social science theories to analyze the misogynistic discourse of the involuntary celibate (“incel”) community. We analyzed every comment (N=3,686,110) produced over 42 months on a popular incel discussion board and found that nearly all active participants use misogynistic terms. Participants used misogynistic terms (e.g., “foid,” “roastie”) nearly one million times and at a rate 2.4 times greater than their use of neutral terms for women (e.g., “woman”). The majority of participants’ use of misogynistic terms does not increase or decrease with post frequency, suggesting that members arrive (rather than become) misogynistic. We discuss these findings in relation to theories of masculinity, sexism, and intersectionality. We likewise discuss potential policies for mitigating incel misogyny and similar forms of online discourse.

No abstract

This article uses computational data and social science theories to analyze the misogynistic discourse of the involuntary celibate (“incel”) community. We analyzed every comment ( N = 3,686,110) produced over 42 months on a popular incel discussion board and found that nearly all active participants use misogynistic terms. Participants used misogynistic terms nearly one million times and at a rate 2.4 times greater than their use of neutral terms for women. The majority of participants’ use of misogynistic terms does not increase or decrease with post frequency, suggesting that members arrive (rather than become) misogynistic. We discuss these findings in relation to theories of intersectionality, masculinity, and sexism. We likewise discuss potential policies for mitigating incel misogyny and similar online discourse.