Jamie Woodcock Boeken

All of a sudden, everybody's talking about the gig economy. From taxi drivers to pizza deliverers to the unemployed, we are all aware of the huge changes that it is driving in our lives as workers, consumers and citizens.This is the first comprehensive overview of this highly topical subject. Drawing upon years of research, stories from gig workers, and a review of the key trends and debates, Jamie Woodcock and Mark Graham shed light on how the gig economy came to be, how it works and what it's like to work in it. They show that, although it has facilitated innovative new services and created jobs for millions, it is not without cost. It allows businesses and governments to generate value while passing significant risk and responsibility onto the workers that make it possible. This is not, however, an argument for turning back the clock. Instead, the authors outline four strategies that can produce a fairer platform economy that works for everyone.Woodcock and Graham's critical introduction will be essential reading for students, scholars and general readers interested in the massive shifts that characterize our modern digital economy.

Exploring the fundamental role of employment in business and society, this book delves into how employment shapes our understanding of management practices. It highlights the significance of employment beyond mere economic transactions, emphasizing its impact on social structures and individual lives. By examining various perspectives, the text invites readers to reconsider the importance of employment in fostering sustainable business practices and promoting social well-being.

Platform work has become a significant testing ground for capital, where management techniques, particularly algorithms, are being refined for broader application in the global economy. This environment has raised concerns about automation eroding workers' agency. While the self-employment model has enabled rapid growth and cost reduction for platforms, it has also empowered workers to strike outside traditional regulations. This critique of platform capitalism centers on workers' perspectives, contributing to discussions about the future of work and organizing. It emphasizes solidarity and presents a global view of emerging forms of agency. The book identifies three key dynamics driving worker struggles in the platform economy: increased connections among previously isolated workers, a lack of communication and negotiation from platforms prompting collective action on shared issues, and the internationalization of platforms fostering transnational solidarity. Focusing on transport and courier workers, online workers, and freelancers, the author examines how workers assert power in diverse contexts. Ultimately, rather than diminishing worker agency, platforms have laid the groundwork for new global movements against capitalism.

In Marx at the Arcade, acclaimed researcher Jamie Woodcock delves into the hidden abode of the gaming industry. In an account that will appeal to hardcore gamers, digital skeptics, and the joystick-curious, Woodcock unravels the vast networks of artists, software developers, and factory and logistics workers whose seen and unseen labor flows into the products we consume on a gargantuan scale. Along the way, he analyzes the increasingly important role the gaming industry plays in contemporary capitalism and the broader transformations of work and the economy that it embodies.