Work under Platform Capitalism

该项目解决了由于平台资本主义的兴起而面临的现代社会问题。平台资本主义是一种商业模式，在这种模式下，人们通过公司的算法来协调自己的工作，这种模式跨越了服务业、运输业和制造业的广泛领域，正在改变工作、消费和日常生活的组织和体验。对于平台型企业，本研究考察了工作、工作场所、员工的意义；社会、性别和家庭关系有何不同；以及权力关系，比如劳工政治和国家监管权力。研究结果将促进工作和组织社会学领域的科学知识。研究结果还将增加公众和决策者对平台资本主义的性质和影响的了解，从而为决策提供信息并为国家福利做出贡献。这项研究的重点是在收入和参与者数量方面全球最大的平台经济体。本研究采用人种学观察和对管理层、工人和政府官员的访谈，比较了三家平台公司在三个领域的工作和管理关系：交通运输，以男性司机为主；家庭佣工，以女性家庭佣工为主；和电子商务，分别以年轻店主为主。对这三个案例的比较将有助于区分和理论化由性别、代际和国家不平衡的经济和政治利益所调节的工作制度和劳动政治的多样性。这种平台经济的经验数据将有助于社会学分析，并将为其他正在扩张的平台经济中的公众、政策制定者、工会和企业提供比较视角。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project addresses questions confronting modern society due to the rise of platform capitalism. Platform capitalism, a business model in which people work for themselves as coordinated algorithmically by a company, spans a wide range of service, transportation, and manufacturing industries and is changing the organization and experiences of work, consumption, and everyday life. For platform enterprises, this study investigates the meaning of work, workplace, and worker; how social, gender, and family relations are different; and power relations, such as labor politics and state regulatory power. Findings will advance scientific knowledge in the field of sociology of work and organizations. Findings also will increase public and policymakers' knowledge concerning the nature and effects of platform capitalism, thereby informing decision-making and contributing to the national welfare.This study focuses on the world's largest platform economy in terms of revenues and number of participants. Using ethnographic observations and interviews with management, workers, and government officials, this research compares work and management relations among three platform corporations in three sectors: transportation, with majority male drivers; domestic labor, with majority female domestic workers; and e-commerce, with majority young shopkeepers respectively. Comparison across the three cases will help differentiate and theorize the variety of work regimes and labor politics mediated by gender, generation, and the uneven economic and political interest of the state. Empirical data on this platform economy will be useful for sociological analysis, and will provide comparative perspectives for the public, policy makers, unions and businesses in other expanding platform economies.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.