Introduction to Male Supremacism: Course Description

The Introduction to Male Supremacism course was designed by the Institute for Male Supremacism as part of the educational aspect of our mentee program. Following a successful launch this summer, we are continuing our offering of the six-week virtual course to public registrants seeking to deepen their understanding of male supremacism and the roots and intersections of supremacism broadly. IRMS is a transnational nonprofit organization supporting a community of research fellows and mentees studying male supremacism and seeking a public impact through their work.

The fall course session will run from October 19 to December 6. The winter 2027 course session will run from mid-January to end of February. Course registration is $350 for the six-session course. To improve access, IRMS will offer a limited number of partial scholarships. See details below.

NEW OFFERING: ONE-WEEK INTENSIVE

IRMS is piloting a new one-week intensive offering of the course, which will take place the week of January 4. This offering is intended to support participants who may have time off around the new year and find it more convenient to commit to a one-week intensive than a six-week course. For the intensive, students will meet for discussion section every day M-F to discuss the unit's materials. The syllabus will be sent in advance, so students can begin the readings early, or they can commit to completing the 5-6 hours of readings each day. In lieu of hosting the final (6th) live section during the intensive week, students will have the rest of the month to contemplate and complete their written response, and then a final sharing session will be organized.

The course curriculum includes a mix of academic texts, materials from think tanks and research nonprofits, media articles, and videos/podcasts. We recommend this course for educators, journalists, college or graduate-level students, researchers, practitioners, organizers, policymakers, and anyone else seeking to further their knowledge of male supremacist ideology and the foundations of misogynist and transmisogynist violence.

Course Description

The course includes:

• Approximately 5 hours of student preparation materials for each class, including assigned readings, videos, and a pre-recorded lecture on the unit topic.

• A one-hour discussion section each week to discuss the readings and ask questions of the instructor.

• For the final class, instead of reading materials, course members are asked to think about how the topics covered in the course will influence their own work and compose a 500-word response, which will form the basis of the final discussion section.

• Topics covered: Introduction to Male Supremacist Ideology; Dehumanization and Dangerous Speech; Entitlement and Justification of Violence; Mental Health and Safety in Anti-Supremacist Work; and Concerns with Current Approaches to Research and Reporting on Male Supremacism.

What our students say:

The readings, from dehumanization to discussions of the manosphere, gave me the vocabulary and analytical frameworks to recognize, understand, and critically engage with these ideas as they show up online and in everyday conversations. The program didn't just deepen my knowledge; it gave me the confidence to contribute thoughtfully to these conversations and to apply what I learned in my own research. I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking to build a strong foundation in this field.

Discussion Section Scheduling

At the time of registration, we will ask for your time zone and available days/time to attend the live discussion section (via Zoom). Based on course enrollment, we will arrange discussion sections for students to sign up for. Discussion section options are expected to be either in the A.M. Pacific Time (evening in Europe) or in the early evening Pacific Time (morning in Australia/Asia). If none of the final discussion section options work for a student, they can opt for a refund.

Fall Instructor

Eli Erlick is an author, educator, and activist based in New York City. Her forthcoming book, Outcasts Within: Understanding the Transgender Far Right (University of Chicago Press, 2027), explores why right-wing transgender people adopt their views and what we can do to prevent others from joining them. She holds a PhD in Feminist Studies and History of Consciousness from the University of California, Santa Cruz, where she researched political philosophy, social movement theory, and transgender studies. Erlick’s work and writing have been featured in hundreds of outlets, including The New York Times, Time Magazine, and The Washington Post. You can learn more about her work at elierlick.com.

Please register here.

IRMS Course Scholarships

If you would like to apply for the IRMS scholarship, please email contact@theirms.org with the subject “Course Scholarship Application” and tell us:

1. Why are you interested in taking this course?

2. How do you expect this course will support your efforts to challenge misogyny? Include any relevant professional background and/or community activities.

3. What scholarship amount would you need to make taking the course possible for your budget?

4. Are you seeking a scholarship for session 1 (late June/July) or session 2 (August/Sept), or would either session work for you?