Freedom Utopia in the Era of Platform Capitalism. The case of Workana in Argentina
Abstract
What does it mean to be free? What does it mean to have the liberty to define our own vital itinerary? This article examines the emerging utopia of liberty and autonomy in the platform environment, focusing on Workana, one of the most representative platforms of this new conception of labour. Together with other platforms such as UpWork, Fiverr and Freelancer, Workana is integrated within a global ecosystem that connects workers and clients from all over the world. In this context, we analyze three key dimensions of the kind of liberty and autonomy provided by the platform: temporal and geographical flexibility in the workday, allowing for a better balance with other activities; financial liberty; and autonomy in the negotiation within labour-capital relations. This article presents the developments of an ongoing research project that combines traditional social research methods with innovative approaches, such as “digital ethnography” (Di Prospero & Daza Prado, 2019).
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