“Man Up,” the recent book by Cynthia Miller-Idriss ’94, challenges the persistent underemphasis on gender in discussions about violent extremism and the pathways that lead to it. In a University Lecture on Sept. 30, she will show how misogyny and gender-based violence are among the most reliable predictors of support for and precursors to mass, public and targeted violence. The talk, “Man Up: The New Misogyny and the Rise of Violent Extremism,” will take place at 4:30 p.m. in Rm. 132, Goldwin Smith Hall. A reception at the A.D. White House will follow the talk.
Miller-Idriss is a leading scholar of extremism, radicalization and polarization; her work offers insight into understanding and preventing the dynamics of hate and violence. In her book, she examines five case studies of misogynistic strategies used to police modern patriarchies: containment, punishment, exploitation, erasure and enabling. She contends that all forms of hate and hate-fueled violence – including racist, anti-immigrant, antisemitic and Islamophobic ideas and attacks – are linked by the connective tissue of misogyny and gender-based bigotry.
“Miller-Idriss manages to combine impeccable scholarship on global extremism with a public-facing pragmatic agenda to fight against democratic backsliding. Her academic and public profile is rare and important.” said faculty host Mabel Berezin, Distinguished Professor of Arts & Sciences in sociology in the College of Arts and Sciences.
At Cornell, Miller-Idriss majored in sociology and German studies. She received her Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Michigan in 2003. She currently holds an appointment as professor in the School of Public Affairs and the School of Education at American University and is the founding director of the Polarization and Extremism Research & Innovation Lab (PERIL).
In addition to her academic work, Miller-Idriss writes frequently for mainstream audiences, as an opinion columnist for MSNBC and with publications in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Washington Post and CNN, among many others. She appears regularly in the media on outlets such as PBS, NPR, BBC News and other international outlets.
“Man Up: The New Misogyny and the Rise of Violent Extremism” is hosted by the Department of Sociology (A&S) and co-sponsored by the Department of German Studies (A&S), the Center on Global Democracy, the Center for the Study of Inequality (A&S), the Department of Government (A&S), the Feminist, Gender & Sexuality Studies Program (A&S) Brooks School of Public Policy, and Cornell Population Center.
The University Lectureship is the highest recognition of scholarship to visiting lecturers awarded by Cornell University and was established in 1900 by a Cornell history professor. It brings to campus outstanding researchers and innovators from across the disciplines who are selected by the Cornell University Lecturers Committee, which is composed of both faculty and students.
