Panel - The Future of Global Workers in the Platform Age

For marginalized laborers in the Global South, the future of work is already here— from youth gaining new freedom through the creator economy to algorithmically exploited gig workers. Authors from the new book Feminist Futures of Work: Reimagining Labour in the Digital Economy (eds. Payal Arora, Usha Raman & René König) and beyond engage with this fast-moving market and discuss how we can reshape work platforms to be fair and inclusive.

The future of work is at the center of debates related to the digital society. Far less attention is given to the future of global workers at the far ends of the value chain, who participate on and off platforms, often in the shadows, invisible to policymakers and consumers. Precarity and informality characterize a largely female workforce, across sectors ranging from artisanal work to salon services to ride hailing and construction. A feminist reimagining of the futures of work — what the book *Feminist Futures of Work: Reimagining Labour in the Digital Economy* terms “FemWork” — is needed. It should manifest in multiple forms, placing marginalized workers at the core, and draw on their experiences, aspirations, and realities. This panel offers grounded insights from a feminist, academic, activist, and design perspective that can help us think through these inclusive futures and possibly create digital, social, and governance infrastructures of work that are fairer and more meaningful.

Speakers

Payal Arora is a digital anthropologist, a TEDx speaker, and an author of award-winning books, including The Next Billion Users with Harvard Press.

Niels van Doorn is Associate Professor of New Media & Digital Culture at the University of Amsterdam.

Daniel Greene is an Assistant Professor of Information Studies at the University of Maryland.

Laura Herman is a Senior Research Lead and an AHRC PhD Student at the University of Oxford’s Internet Institute. Her research at both institutions examines the impact of emerging technologies on creative practices and artistic work.

Sai Amulya Komarraju is an Assistant Professor in the Communications area at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.

Usha Raman is Professor of Media Studies at the University of Hyderabad, where she teaches and researches in the areas of feminist media studies, digital cultures, and science and health communication.

Aditi Surie is Senior Researcher at the Indian Institute for Human Settlements.

Date and Time

Wednesday 8th March, 2023 17:00-18:30

Register

The panel event will take place in-person at Spui25 in central Amsterdam and is ticketed. Head to the Spui25 website to book your place.