Unpacking Single Men’s Constructions of Innocent Men and Culpable Women in a #MeToo Context

Abstract

The #MeToo movement became an important historical moment around the globe, illuminating the pervasive spectrum of sexual harm. This, however, did not exist without significant backlash, backlash which became one of the defining features of our study with men. We individually interviewed 31 single, heterosexual men about their experiences and understandings of contemporary masculinity, singleness and heterosexuality. During this process, participants talked significantly about the #MeToo movement and women’s accounts of sexual violence, with a focus on the implications this might have for men and dating. Using a critical discursive approach, our analysis of men’s talk was patterned by three interpretive repertoires: I just don’t understand…; You can’t do anything anymore!; and She’s really only got herself to blame… Our analysis suggests that while #MeToo has succeeded in starting a conversation about sexual violence, work still needs to be done in interrupting traditional victim-blaming discourses, as exemplified though our data.