6pm 2/20/2020
Teresa Lang Community and Student Center 55 W 13th Street, Room I-202
Since 2011 Schor has been studying the “sharing” and “gig” economies. Her book, After the Gig: How the Sharing Economy Got Hijacked and How To Win It Back, is forthcoming from the University of California Press in 2020.
When the “sharing economy” launched a decade ago, proponents claimed that it would transform the experience of work—giving earners flexibility, autonomy, and decent incomes. It was touted as a cure for social isolation and rampant ecological degradation. But this novel form of gig work soon sprouted a dark side: exploited Uber drivers, neighborhoods ruined by Airbnb, racial discrimination and rising carbon emissions. Several of the most prominent platforms are now faced with existential crises as they prioritize growth over fairness and long term viability. Based on nearly a decade of research, this talk will analyze what went wrong and discuss ways forward for platforms and workers that are capable of realizing the promises of the early days.
Juliet Schor is Professor of Sociology at Boston College. Schor’s research focuses on the sociology of work, consumption, and climate change. A graduate of Wesleyan University, Schor received her Ph.D. in economics at the University of Massachusetts. Before joining Boston College, she taught at Harvard University for 17 years, in the Department of Economics and the Committee on Degrees in Women’s Studies.