In search of the good life : weaknesses of the ever-stronger global platform economy

Kanjuo-Mrčela, Aleksandra (author)

The article contributes to the theoretical debate on the current state of the global economic system and the implications it holds for the (re)distribution of social and economic power. The theoretical framework of the discussion builds upon critical accounts of the rise of platform capitalism – an economic and social system founded on digitalised work. The imagining of futures is based on the mapping of possible actors and paths of the continuation or disruption of ongoing trends. Although digitalisation in principle holds the potential to foster economic growth and reduce inequalities, the accelerated development of the digital economy in the last few decades has been accompanied by unequally distributed positive and negative economic outcomes. Overcoming the precariousness of work and life as a universal problem should be founded in simultaneous local, short-term, partial resistance and attempts to limit the negative impacts and spread of precariousness on one hand and conceptualising and promoting comprehensive and universal solutions to precariousness on the other as part of a general rethinking of the social, political and economic order of our age

• Language: English
• Keywords: digital technology, digital economy, precarious work, precarious life, platform economy, platform capitalism, economic inequalities, economic power
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 30.09.2022
• Year: 2022
• Number of pages: Str. 617-643, 784
• Numbering: Letn. 59, št. 3
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-142435-13669aca-d542-b602-b6f1-8e3bf68246e5
• UDC: [339.9:004.774]:316.4
• ISSN on article: 0040-3598
• DOI: 10.51936/tip.59.3.617–643
• COBISS.SI-ID: 128512771
• Publication date in RUL: 08.11.2022

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Teorija in praksa : revija za družbena vprašanja
• Shortened title: Teor. praksa
• Publisher: Fakulteta za družbene vede
• ISSN: 0040-3598
• COBISS.SI-ID: 763652

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: V iskanju dobrega življenja

Abstract

Članek prispeva k teoretični razpravi o trenutnem stanju globalnega gospodarskega sistema in posledicah za (re)distribucijo družbene in gospodarske moči. Teoretski okvir razprave gradi na kritičnih analizah vzpona platformnega kapitalizma – ekonomskega in družbenega sistema, ki je utemeljen na digitaliziranem delu. Razmislek o prihodnosti je osnovan na pregledu možnih akterjev in poti nadaljevanja ali prekinitve trenutnih trendov. Čeprav ima digitalizacija načeloma potencial za spodbujanje gospodarske rasti in zmanjševanje neenakosti, je pospešen razvoj digitalnega gospodarstva v zadnjih desetletjih spremljala neenakomerna porazdelitev pozitivnih in negativnih gospodarskih rezultatov. Premagovanje prekarnosti dela in življenja kot univerzalnega problema bo temeljilo na hkratnem lokalnem, kratkoročnem, parcialnem odporu in poskusih omejevanja negativnih posledic in širjenja prekarnosti na eni strani ter konceptualizaciji in spodbujanju celovitih in univerzalnih rešitev prekarnosti kot delu splošnega premisleka o družbeni, politični in ekonomski ureditvi na drugi strani

• Keywords: digitalna tehnologija, digitalna ekonomija, prekarno delo, prekarno življenje, platformska ekonomija, platformski kapitalizem, ekonomske neenakosti, ekonomska moč