Abstract
Sharing’ is a misnomer when referring to activities frequently encountered
in the collaborative economy. Where physical work is performed, platforms are accused of exploitation of vulnerable groups disadvantaged by recession and austerity, to whom, however, they also offer a lifeline. The rhetoric of ‘Social Europe’ has too often been displaced by economic imperatives of growth and competitiveness. An opportunity may now be emerging for a more caring form of collaborative exchange in the field of labor responding to the ‘soft-power’ of the European Commission and to the self-interest of the platforms themselves.
Based on research between 2015 and 2018, this chapter reveals specific causes of concern in the so-called ‘sharing economy’ and identifies recent developments that might eventually transform ‘hyper-individualistic anomie’ (Wilson 2016) into good quality work without stifling flexibility and job creation.
in the collaborative economy. Where physical work is performed, platforms are accused of exploitation of vulnerable groups disadvantaged by recession and austerity, to whom, however, they also offer a lifeline. The rhetoric of ‘Social Europe’ has too often been displaced by economic imperatives of growth and competitiveness. An opportunity may now be emerging for a more caring form of collaborative exchange in the field of labor responding to the ‘soft-power’ of the European Commission and to the self-interest of the platforms themselves.
Based on research between 2015 and 2018, this chapter reveals specific causes of concern in the so-called ‘sharing economy’ and identifies recent developments that might eventually transform ‘hyper-individualistic anomie’ (Wilson 2016) into good quality work without stifling flexibility and job creation.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | The Handbook of the Sharing Economy |
| Subtitle of host publication | Should Europe regulate labor platforms in the sharing economy? |
| Editors | Russell Belk, Giana Eckhardt, Fleura Bardhi |
| Place of Publication | Cheltenham, UK and Northampton MA, USA |
| Publisher | Edward Elgar |
| Chapter | 19 |
| Pages | 242-253 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 978788110549 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781788110532 |
| Publication status | Published - 25 Sept 2019 |
