"Time and Money Well Spent? The Meanings of Platform Work"

The gig and platform styles of work tend to be characterized as negative developments in journalistic accounts and scholarly work, notably the low pay and poor working conditions for workers. Yet in all surveys of platform workers, the majority report being satisfied. This dissonance creates a puzzle that is extremely relevant for structuring plans to regulate the gig economy, which some are heralding will be part of the future of work.

My guiding research question is: how do workers experience satisfaction – and adapt to dissatisfaction – on digital labor platforms? I use qualitative methods including interviews, archives, and ethnographic observation to provide a grounded empirical account.

Dissertation Papers

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