Why am I (not) being targeted? Conceptualising the intersectional complexities of cancel culture and future research agenda

As cancel culture becomes more prevalent, inconsistencies emerge in the way cancellations manifest for different people. Yet the underlying reasons for this remain untheorised. The absence of a shared conceptualisation has created disagreement in cancel culture research, and while studies acknowledge an intersectional component, it remains underexplored. To address these gaps, we use a conceptual methodology, drawing on integrative literature review and theory synthesis to develop a conceptual framework detailing cancel culture across micro, meso, and macro levels, and identify all involved actors. Our framework illustrates how power dynamics and the severity of transgressions shape a target’s ability to resist cancellation. We find individuals with intersecting identities may face greater challenges in mobilising support, which impacts escalation and outcomes. We conclude by proposing future research directions.