Emily Carian, assistant professor in Cal State San Bernardino’s Department of Sociology, was featured as a keynote speaker at the Institute of Research on Male Supremacism (IRMS) Conference for Research on Male Supremacism and Right-Wing Studies on May 14. The conference was co-hosted by the Institute for Research on Male Supremacism and the Berkeley Center for Right-Wing Studies.

Carian was not only a keynote speaker, but she is also a co-founder and chair of the board for IRMS. She discussed the institute’s framework for understanding male supremacism and misogyny and how it relates to recent anti-trans mobilizations (e.g., bans on gender-affirming medical care, trans athletes’ participation in sports). She continues with introductions to other speakers on the panel. Viewers can watch the keynote discussion online at “Anti-Trans Ideology in Male Supremacism.”  

“I hope viewers of the keynote better understand the recent uptick in anti-trans legislation in the United States and the lived experience of trans people who must navigate anti-transness daily,” Carian stated. “I also hope viewers will see how misogyny and patriarchy are interwoven with anti-transness in right-wing movements and the broader culture.”

IRMS is committed to exposing and challenging common narratives that provide shelter to male supremacist movements, advancing new theoretical understandings and practical analyses of contemporary threats, and providing resources for media and activists to improve their ability to challenge male supremacism and misogyny.

Carian and several other co-founders started IRMS back in the fall of 2019. “We were interested in starting the institute as a resource for researchers, journalists and activists,” Carian stated. “There is little research on how misogyny motivates right-wing movements, so we wanted to create a community where researchers doing that work could collaborate and share resources. We also recognized that journalists often downplay the misogyny of male supremacist groups, for example, by portraying violent incels (involuntary celibates) as mentally ill or lonely rather than misogynist. We connect journalists with our expert researchers to promote accurate media coverage of these groups. More recently, we’re collaborating with activists and women’s organizations to develop effective ways to challenge misogyny and male supremacism.”

As an assistant professor for the Department of Sociology at CSUSB, Carian teaches research methods and social psychology. In her research, she investigates why gender inequality is so persistent across a variety of settings and populations.

Carian stated, “I’m currently examining how heterosexual couples navigate childcare and housework during the COVID-19 pandemic with my CSUSB colleague, Jurgita Abromaviciute.”

 To learn more or to get involved in IRMS, check out its website.