Formalization or accumulation? Digitalization and dependency in food delivery platforms

Journal title SOCIOLOGIA DEL LAVORO
Author/s Marco Marrone
Publishing Year 2019 Issue 2019/154
Language Italian Pages 23 P. 97-119 File size 230 KB
DOI 10.3280/SL2019-154006
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The paper provides a perspective, empirically explorated in the context of food delivery, able to focus those factors which have developed the digitalizazion of the economy, but also why its benefits are not being redistributed among those who have been involved. The hypothesis is that this happens because digitalization is not only the product of technological development, but also of a ri-articulation of accumulation processes happening in the context of neoliberalism effects on the society. A process which is not only increasing the relevance of food delivery, but it is also transforming social relations inside such context. The paper presents empirical evidences coming from the analysis of four of the major food delivery platforms balance sheet. Furthermore, the author will analyze 5 interviews conducted among food delivery workers and 7 among restaurant’s manager. The author finally underlines how digitalization is producing a dependency from digital platforms which gets deepen by the way in which they operate.

Il paper presenta uno studio esplorativo nel contesto del food delivery volto a offrire una prospettiva attraverso cui focalizzare sia i fattori sociali che hanno determinato lo sviluppo dei processi di digitalizzazione dell’economia, sia le ragioni di un mancato accesso ai suoi potenziali benefici per coloro che ne vengono investiti. L’ipotesi è che ciò accada perché la digitalizzazione di attività quali il food delivery sono il frutto di una riarticolazione dei processi di accumulazione avvenuta nel quadro degli effetti del neoliberismo che determina non solo una crescita quantitativa, ma anche una trasformazione delle relazioni sociali all’interno del food delivery determinata dalla concentrazione di potere nelle mani delle piattaforme. Attraverso un’esplorazione empirica condotta analizzando i bilanci delle quattro maggiori piattaforme di food delivery, 5 interviste condotte tra i rider e 7 condotte tra i ristoratori di Bologna, verrà dunque messo in evidenza come l’emersione delle piattaforme determini un rapporto di dipendenza dalle piattaforme digitali che viene costantemente approfondito dal modo in cui esse operano.

Keywords: Accumulation, neoliberalism, food industry, precarity

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Marco Marrone, Formalizzazione o accumulazione? Digitalizzazione e dipendenza nelle piattaforme di food delivery in "SOCIOLOGIA DEL LAVORO " 154/2019, pp 97-119, DOI: 10.3280/SL2019-154006