Organising in the Platform Economy

A growing body of sociological research examines informal worker organizing around the world. Early waves of research sought to demonstrate that informal workers were self-organizing and sought to identify key commonalities of such organizing. More recent research is taking new approaches: working to theorize such organizing, studying it on multiple scales, in comparative perspective (cross-nationally, by gender, by occupation, and across other axes of comparison), and in its historical development and processes of innovation. This panel will invite fresh research perspectives on informal worker organizing. We will seek to include studies from multiple continents, with particular emphasis on the Asia-Pacific region given the location of the ISA Congress. The session will include brief paper presentations but also reserve ample time for discussion among panelists, discussants, and the audience.