A social reproduction analysis of digital care platform work

Abstract

Digital platforms are becoming an important factor in the process ofreconfiguration and commodification of social reproduction during theneoliberal phase of capitalism. Developing a theoretical frameworkmerging social reproduction theory and migrant labour regimes, thisarticle argues that the introduction of digital platforms in the caresector is facilitating the expansion of precarised commodification ofreproductive activities in a context of social care crisis. Through amixed-method analysis, combining desk-based research with in-depthinterviews of digital care platform work in Spain, the study examinesthe migrant labour regime of digital care platforms and how they takeadvantage of the international division of labour and global care chainsto further exploit a highly precarious, informalised, feminised andracialised workforce. Our findings reveal that platforms use technologyto rapidly access a reserve labour army, thus extracting more surplusvalue by restricting access to information, controlling the intermediationprocess and further fragmenting the workforce in reproductive activities.