âAs a Womanâ¦â: Policing Black Femininity Through Unsolicited Digital Advice
In: Journal of FemininitiesSearch for other papers by Vimbai Mutero in
Current site
Google Scholar
Abstract
Across global platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, niche digital communities have emerged to regulate and police femininity. These groups enforce rigid gender norms, often targeting women who defy expectations. This research examines how Black women are subject to racialised digital policing, where unsolicited advice, often beginning with âAs a woman, you shouldâ¦â, is used to devalue and control expressions of femininity. Femininity, though not exclusive to women, is socially constructed as essential for those identified as women and is policed in racialised digital spaces. Despite growing discourse on femininity, there remains a gap in understanding how digital communities target Black women, shaping public perceptions of their gender expression. Using thematic analysis, this study explores how unsolicited advice functions as digital violence and legitimises abuse by reinforcing harmful norms. By engaging critically with these discourses, the article contributes to the study of digital femininity and offers pathways for resisting the gendered regulation of Black women in online spaces.
Purchase
Buy instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):
Institutional Login
Log in with Open Athens, Shibboleth, or your institutional credentials
Personal login
Log in with your brill.com account
-
Ali, S. (2023). How do you feel about Black feminism? [Video].TikTok. https://www.tik-tok.com/@empressfayer/video/7215725974032534830?_t=ZS-8udZvrpyuZz&_r=1
-
Alichie, B. O. (2023). âYou donât talk like a womanâ: The influence of gender identity in the constructions of online misogyny. Feminist Media Studies, 23(4), 1409â1428. https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2022.2032253
-
Amy, R. (2024). Be a feminine woman, be a submissive woman [Video].TikTok. https://www.tiktok.com/@rita_amyblog/video/7340660360539688198?_t=ZS-8udXr2S-F5k8&_r=1
-
Ardener, E. (1975). Belief and the Problem of Women. In S. Ardener (Ed.), Perceiving Women (pp. 1â27). London: Malaby Press.
-
Avery, L. (2016). The Sound of (Black) Music: Black-Oriented Media Use and Hegemonic Gender Beliefs as Liabilities to Black Womenâs Sexual Well-Being. University of Michigan.
-
Avery, L. R., Stanton, A. G., Ward, L. M., Trinh, S. L., Jerald, M. C., & Cole, E. R. (2021). Remixing the Script? Associations Between Black-Oriented Media Consumption and Black Womenâs Heteropatriarchal Romantic Relationship Beliefs. Journal of Black Psychology, 47(7), 593â625. https://doi.org/10.1177/00957984211021236
-
Bailey, M. (2021). Misogynoir Transformed: Black Womenâs Digital Resistance. New York, USA: New York University Press. https://doi.org/10.18574/nyu/9781479803392.001.0001
-
Banet-Weiser, S., & Miltner, K. M. (2015). #MasculinitySoFragile: culture, structure, and networked misogyny. Feminist Media Studies, 16(1), 171â174. https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2016.1120490
-
Barr, E. (2023). Understanding Digital Misogynoir: New report from Glitch â Survivors Network. https://survivorsnetwork.org.uk/understanding-digital-misogynoir/
-
Barter, C., & Koulu, S. (2021). Digital technologies and gender-based violence â mechanisms for oppression, activism and recovery. Journal of Gender-Based Violence, 5(3), 367â375. Retrieved Mar 18, 2025, from https://doi.org/10.1332/239868021X16315286472556
-
Crenshaw, K. (1989). Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics, University of Chicago Legal Forum: Vol. 1989: Iss. 1, Article 8. Available at: http://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/uclf/vol1989/iss1/8
-
Dahl, U. (2012). Turning like a Femme: Figuring Critical Femininity Studies. nora â Nordic Journal of Feminist and Gender Research, 20(1), 57â64. https://doi.org/10.1080/08038740.2011.650708
-
Dahl, U. (2017). Femmebodiment: Notes on queer feminine shapes of vulnerability. Feminist Theory, 18(1), 35â53. https://doi.org/10.1177/1464700116683902
-
Daniels, G. (2021). Glass Ceilings: cybermisogyny is a sign of unchecked sexism in media and newsrooms. Agenda, 35(2), 123â135. https://doi.org/10.1080/10130950.2021.1917296
-
Davis, S. M., & Jones, M. K. (2021). Black Women at War: A Comprehensive Framework for Research on the Strong Black Woman. Womenâs Studies in Communication, 44(3), 301â322. https://doi.org/10.1080/07491409.2020.1838020
-
Dichter, M. E., Thomas, K. A., Crits-Christoph, P., Ogden, S. N., & Rhodes, K. V. (2018). Coercive Control in Intimate Partner Violence: Relationship with Womenâs Experience of Violence, Use of Violence, and Danger. Psychology of Violence, 8(5), 596â604. https://doi.org/10.1037/vio0000158
-
Dickel, V., & Evolvi, G. (2023). âVictims of feminismâ: Exploring networked misogyny and #MeToo in the manosphere. Feminist Media Studies, 23(4), 1392â1408. https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2022.2029925
-
Dieng, R. S., Haastrup, T., & Kang, A. J. (2024). Centering Feminists and Feminism in Protests in Africa. Politics & Gender, 20(2), 474â477. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1743923X22000769
-
Ebila, F. (2015). âA proper woman, in the African traditionâ: The construction of gender and nationalism in Wangari Maathaiâs autobiography Unbowed. Tydskrif Vir Letterkunde, 52(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.4314/tvl.v52i1.10
-
Emedo, C. C. (2025). A Critical Discourse On Marriage, Infidelity Practice And The Challenges On African Women, Children, Family And Society. Nnadiebube Journal of Philosophy, 8(1), Article 1. https://acjol.org/index.php/NJP/article/view/6253
-
Faith, B. (2022). Tackling online gender-based violence; understanding gender, development, and the power relations of digital spaces. Gender, Technology and Development, 26(3), 325â340. https://doi.org/10.1080/09718524.2022.2124600
-
Fontanella, L., Chulvi, B., Ignazzi, E., Sarra, A., & Tontodimamma, A. (2024). How do we study misogyny in the digital age? A systematic literature review using a computational linguistic approach. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 11(1), 1â15. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-02978-7
-
hooks, b. (2000). Feminist theory: From margin to center. Pluto Press.
-
hooks, b. (2014). Ainât I a woman: Black women and feminism. Pluto Press.
-
Hoskin, R. A. (2019). Femmephobia: The Role of Anti-Femininity and Gender Policing in lgbtq+ Peopleâs Experiences of Discrimination. Sex Roles, 81(11), 686â703. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-019-01021-3
-
Hoskin, R. A. (2020). âFemininity? Itâs the Aesthetic of Subordinationâ: Examining Femmephobia, the Gender Binary, and Experiences of Oppression Among Sexual and Gender Minorities. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 49(7), 2319â2339. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-020-01641-x
-
Hoskin, R. A. (2021). Can femme be theory? Exploring the epistemological and methodological possibilities of femme. Journal of Lesbian Studies, 25(1), 1â17. https://doi.org/10.1080/10894160.2019.1702288
-
Johnson, U. (2023). Feminism turned Black women against Black men [Video].Tik-Tok. https://www.tiktok.com/@dailyrapupcrew/video/7245719932699168042?_t=ZS-8udYnHzEevQ&_r=1
-
Kane, E. W., & Schippers, M. (1996). Menâs and Womenâs Beliefs About Gender and Sexuality. Gender & Society, 10(5), 650â665. https://doi.org/10.1177/089124396010005009
-
Kelly, L. C., Spencer, C. M., Stith, S. M., & Beliard, C. (2020). âIâm Black, Iâm Strong, and I Need Helpâ: Toxic Black Femininity and Intimate Partner Violence. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 12(1), 54â63. https://doi.org/10.1111/jftr.12358
-
Kelly, L., Vennum, A., & Bell, C. C. (2024). Black Girl Magic: Strength, Resiliency, and Suffering? A Qualitative Exploration of Toxic Black Femininity and Intimate Partner Violence. Contemporary Family Therapy, 46(4), 385â398. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10591-024-09714-y
-
Knight, S. (2024a). Do not take relationship advice from single mothers or divorcees [Video].TikTok. https://www.tiktok.com/@shadaya_knight/video/7437114814180330807?_t=ZS-8uaGHdDRZ8p&_r=1
-
Knight, S. (2024b). One drunk man is more intelligent than three women with PhDs [Video].TikTok. https://www.tiktok.com/@spreadmotivation5/video/7396339784198688043?_t=ZS-8uaGt4VrJ95&_r=1
-
Kramarae, C. (1981). Women and Men Speaking: Frameworks for Analysis. Newbury House Publishers, Inc.
-
Lorde, A. (2022). Scratching the Surface: Some Notes on Barriers to Women and Loving (1978). Womenâs Studies Quarterly, 50(1/2), 311â317. https://www.jstor.org/stable/27187229
-
Mama, A. (2011). What Does it Mean to Do Feminist Research in African Contexts? Feminist Review, 98(1_suppl), e4âe20. https://doi.org/10.1057/fr.2011.22
-
Marwick, A. E., & Caplan, R. (2018). Drinking male tears: language, the manosphere, and networked harassment. Feminist Media Studies, 18(4), 543â559. https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2018.1450568
-
McCann, H. (2022). Is there anything âtoxicâ about femininity? The rigid femininities that keep us locked in. Psychology & Sexuality, 13(1), 9â22. https://doi.org/10.1080/19419899.2020.1785534
-
McRobbie, A. (2008). The aftermath of feminism: Gender, culture and social change. SAGE
-
Menzie, L. (2022). Stacys, Beckys, and Chads: The construction of femininity and hegemonic masculinity within incel rhetoric. Psychology & Sexuality, 13(1), 69â85. https://doi.org/10.1080/19419899.2020.1806915
-
Morgan J. (2023) Black Girl Gone: Misogynoir, Hypervisibility, and Black Women. Health Education & Behavior. 50(4): 505â507. https://doi.org/10.1177/10901981231177084
-
Morrow, S. (2024). Nowhere to turn: A Black feminist autoethnography of interpersonal violence. Qualitative Social Work, 23(4), 667â681. https://doi.org/10.1177/14733250231186755
-
Noble, D., Palmer, L.A. (2022). Misogynoir: Anti-Blackness, Patriarchy, and Refusing the Wrongness of Black Women. In: Tate, S.A., Gutiérrez RodrÃguez, E. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Critical Race and Gender. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-83947-5_12
-
Oduro, C. (2025). I will die with him [Video].TikTok. https://www.tiktok.com/@pokuaa_blogs/video/7470623353108253974?_t=ZS-8udVeS9PUql&_r=1
-
OâMalley, R. L., & Helm, B. (2022). The Role of Perceived Injustice and Need for Esteem on Incel Membership Online. Deviant Behavior, 44(7), 1026â1043. https://doi.org/10.1080/01639625.2022.2133650
-
Onuoha, A. (2022). The Manosphere Isnât Just White: Black Femicide and the Radicalisation of Black Male Youth. gnet. https://gnet-research.org/2022/01/31/the-manosphere-isnt-just-white-black-femicide-and-the-radicalisation-of-black-male-youth/
-
Procope Bell, D. (2024). âPick-Meâ Black women: Tactical patriarchal femininity in the Black manosphere. Feminist Media Studies, 24(8), 1704â1722. https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2023.2262163
-
Rodger, E. (2014). My twisted world: The manifesto of Elliot Rodger. Self-published.
-
Rodriguez, A. (2021). Misogynoir. Journal of Graduate Medical Education, 13(6), 795â796. https://doi.org/10.4300/JGME-D-21-00699.1
-
Rogan, F. (2022). Digital Femininities: The Gendered Construction of Cultural and Political Identities Online. Taylor & Francis Group. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429356117
-
Roman, N. V., & Frantz, J. M. (2013). The prevalence of intimate partner violence in the family: A systematic review of the implications for adolescents in Africa. Family Practice, 30(3), 256â265. https://doi.org/10.1093/fampra/cms084
-
Samuels, K. (2025). Kevin Samuels Discusses Celibacy | [Video].TikTok. https://www.tiktok.com/@flaverfifty_07/video/7458851444708363550?_r=1&_t=ZS-8udX5zm9tHs
-
Schippers, M. (2007). Recovering the feminine other: Masculinity, femininity, and gender hegemony. Theory and Society, 36(1), 85â102. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11186-007-9022-4
-
SexyâT (2023). Donât ever withhold sex from your husband [Video].TikTok. https://www.tiktok.com/@sexyt__/video/7202737099903208750?_t=ZS-8udTq3ExvSq&_r=1
-
Summer, S. (2025). How Black women face 600% higher risk of abuse. Rolling Out. https://rollingout.com/2025/02/21/domestic-abuse-black-women-crisis/
-
Sweet, P. L. (2019). The Sociology of Gaslighting. American Sociological Review, 84(5), 851â875.
-
Syawal, M., Dwiandini, A., Khaerunnisa, D., & Irwansyah, I. (2024). Exploring The Role Of Muted Group Theory In Understanding Womenâs Experiences: A Systematic Literature Review. International Journal of Humanity Studies (ijhs), 7, 279â294. https://doi.org/10.24071/ijhs.v7i2.7305
-
Sykes, S., & Hopner, V. (2024). Tradwives: Right-Wing Social Media Influencers. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 53(4), 453â487. https://doi.org/10.1177/08912416241246273
-
The ohgi Network (Director). (2025, January 10). âToo many Black women want a finished productâ -Dr. Umar Johnson [Video recording]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx6BYA9ZqXE
-
The Q Pill (Director). (2023). Research shows Black womenâs attitudes are undesirable | Q Pilled [Video].YouTube https://www.youtube.com/shorts/XX99BfsUj2E
-
Theriault, S. W., & Holmberg, D. (1998). The New Old-Fashioned Girl: Effects of Gender and Social Desirability on Reported Gender-Role Ideology. Sex Roles, 39(1), 97â112. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018881917133
-
Thomas, Z., Banks, J., Eaton, A. A., & Ward, L. M. (2022). 25 years of psychology research on the âStrong Black Womanâ. Social & Personality Psychology Compass, 16(9), 1â23. https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12705
-
Tietjen, R. R., & Tirkkonen, S. K. (2023). The rage of lonely men: Loneliness and misogyny in the online movement of âinvoluntary celibatesâ (Incels). Topoi, 42, 1229â1241. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11245-023-09921-6
-
Tobin, S. J., & Guadagno, R. E. (2022). Why people listen: Motivations and outcomes of podcast listening. plos one, 17(4), e0265806. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0265806
-
Vandello, J. A., & Bosson, J. K. (2013). Hard won and easily lost: A review and synthesis of theory and research on precarious manhood. Psychology of Men & Masculinity, 14(2), 101â113. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0029826
-
Volpe, V. V., Ross, J. M., Collins, A., Spivey, B. N., Watson-Singleton, N. N., Goode, R. W., Hoggard, L. S., & Woods Giscombé, C. L. (2024). Gendered Racial Microaggressions and Emotional Eating for Black Young Adult Women: The Mediating Roles of Superwoman Schema and Self-Compassion. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 48(1), 93â107. https://doi.org/10.1177/03616843231182913
-
Yingwana, N. (2018). âWe Fit in the Society by Forceâ: Sex Work and Feminism in Africa. Meridians, 17(2), 279â295. https://doi.org/10.1215/15366936-7176439
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 745 | 745 | 39 |
| Full Text Views | 34 | 34 | 2 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 78 | 78 | 5 |
âAs a Womanâ¦â: Policing Black Femininity Through Unsolicited Digital Advice
In: Journal of FemininitiesSearch for other papers by Vimbai Mutero in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
Across global platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, niche digital communities have emerged to regulate and police femininity. These groups enforce rigid gender norms, often targeting women who defy expectations. This research examines how Black women are subject to racialised digital policing, where unsolicited advice, often beginning with âAs a woman, you shouldâ¦â, is used to devalue and control expressions of femininity. Femininity, though not exclusive to women, is socially constructed as essential for those identified as women and is policed in racialised digital spaces. Despite growing discourse on femininity, there remains a gap in understanding how digital communities target Black women, shaping public perceptions of their gender expression. Using thematic analysis, this study explores how unsolicited advice functions as digital violence and legitimises abuse by reinforcing harmful norms. By engaging critically with these discourses, the article contributes to the study of digital femininity and offers pathways for resisting the gendered regulation of Black women in online spaces.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 745 | 745 | 39 |
| Full Text Views | 34 | 34 | 2 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 78 | 78 | 5 |
