n9wiff
PSL icon
- Joined
- Sep 24, 2023
- Posts
- 16,755
- Reputation
- 30,823
Incel is an academic sociological term that is short for involuntary celibate (a person suffering involuntary celibacy) or involuntary celibacy, a negative life circumstance. An analogy many incels often find elucidating would be comparing the state of lifelong inceldom to commonly recognized life adverse circumstances, such as poverty. Inceldom was recognized in academia as a sociological phenomenon in the landmark Donnelly study published in 2001. Many further peer-reviewed academic papers have since been written, portraying involuntary celibacy as a harmful life circumstance rather than exclusively describing a specific internet subculture.
Academic researchers who have examined involuntary celibacy (though not all use that exact term) include: Denise Donnelly, Elizabeth Burgess, Laura Carpenter, Theodor F. Cohen, and Menelaos Apostolou. Brian Gilmartin also conducted extensive research into the closely linked concept of love shyness. The initial study explicitly dealing with the topic of involuntary celibacy, the Donnelly study, defined incels as all adults who fail to find a sexual partner for six months or more, despite their desire for one. However, among self-identified incels, there is often fervent disagreement about the exact definition of what an incel is.
Academic researchers who have examined involuntary celibacy (though not all use that exact term) include: Denise Donnelly, Elizabeth Burgess, Laura Carpenter, Theodor F. Cohen, and Menelaos Apostolou. Brian Gilmartin also conducted extensive research into the closely linked concept of love shyness. The initial study explicitly dealing with the topic of involuntary celibacy, the Donnelly study, defined incels as all adults who fail to find a sexual partner for six months or more, despite their desire for one. However, among self-identified incels, there is often fervent disagreement about the exact definition of what an incel is.
