Access to the Gig Economy: Infrastructural Competence and the Participation of Underrepresented Populations

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This research advances our understanding of how people from disadvantaged backgrounds pursue work in the the so-called knowledge-based gig economy, doing contract work such as programming and writing. The research will delve into how these workers obtain, assemble, and organize digital resources, such as mobile devices, software and services, storage, security, and interconnectivity, to accomplish their jobs. These workers, especially if they lack an office, may work in coffee shops, libraries, co-working centers, and other on-the-go places. Some have routine circuits of travel and can rely on co-working spaces; some are more nomadic. Either way, they must organize and reconfigure their work resources, creating "mobile offices" that provide cognitive space (attention), physical space (room to work), communications (relationships with others), and direct work resources. Digital technologies are usually necessary and require technical and social competence and financial resources. Recent studies show that this kind of work is likely to become a larger part of the future workforce.One goal of this research is to understand in greater depth what will be needed to make this kind of work successful, and to identify the particular challenges and needs of workers who come from disadvantaged backgrounds (such as single parents, rural workers, etc). A second goal of this work is to develop better methods for collecting data on contract or gig workers, and how to understand the alternative uses of these workers' digital platforms, applications, and devices. It is probable that unobtrusive data collection about application uses, connections, and access to digital resources will be needed to complement current field-based data collection methods. Data collection will focus on the ways in which disadvantaged workers create their digital collections and pursue work. The research will also involve integrating data collected unobtrusively. This project will employ graduate students who themselves come from disadvantaged backgrounds to contribute to their development and to gain from their perspectives. The research will contribute to our expectations for training and preparation of a digitally-enabled workforce of the future.