”Soyboys” and ”Alpha males”. En multimodal kritisk diskursanalys om maskulinitetskonstruktioner och veganism inom manosfären på Instagram

Sammanfattning

This study examines how veganism is represented within the manosphere on Instagram,with a particular focus on how the term “Soyboy” is used to construct and evaluate differentforms of masculinity. The study is based on Machin & Mayr’s (2012) Multimodal CriticalDiscourse (MCDA) and analyzes 11 Reels from Instagram through the interaction betweendifferent semiotic elements, such as language, sound, and visual expressions. The analysis isconducted in relation to theories of hegemonic masculinity (Connell & Messerschmidt, 2005)and discourse theory (Foucault, 1981). The findings show that veganism is repeatedly portrayed as feminine, weak, andsubordinate in relation to hegemonic masculine ideals. The term “Soyboy” functions as adiscursive tool used to create clear hierarchies between men, where certain forms ofmasculinity are legitimized while others are ridiculed. The “ideal man” is constructed throughqualities such as physical strength, discipline, control, and dominance, while men associatedwith veganism or more feminine-coded behaviors are presented as passive, emotional andinferior. The analysis also demonstrates how humor, pseudoscientific claims and visual contrasts areused to normalize and spread these ideas in ways that make the content more accessible andless controversial. Instagram therefore functions not only as a platform for entertainment butalso as a space where norms surrounding gender, the body and identity are reproduced andreinforced. The study highlights the importance of multimodal communication in theseprocesses, as meaning is created through the interaction between text, image, sound, andediting. Furthermore, the study shows that the manosphere is characterized by a strong “us vsthem” rhetoric where certain men as positioned as superior while others are framed as deviantor unsuccessful. Terms like “Soyboy,” “cuck,” and “beta” functions as social markers andreinforce boundaries around what is considered legitimate masculinity. The study contributes to existing research by addressing an underexplored area of themanosphere: How masculinity and lifestyle choices are constructed through visual andmultimodal expressions on Instagram. Future research could expand this field by examining audience responses to andengagement with manosphere related content. Further studies could also explore howalgorithmic recommendation systems contribute to visibility and normalization of thesediscourses.