Platformization of Inequality: Gender and Race in Digital Labor Platforms

TL;DR

This paper examines how digital labor platforms reinforce social identities like gender and race, exacerbating stereotypes and biases in online freelancing, with empirical data from 108 freelancers highlighting key inequalities.

Contribution

It provides empirical evidence and conceptual analysis of how digital platforms embed and reinforce social biases, contributing to the understanding of platformization of inequality.

Findings

Female freelance work is undervalued

Gendered occupational expectations exist

Racial stereotypes influence perceptions

Abstract

We contribute empirical and conceptual insights regarding the roles of digital labor platforms in online freelancing, focusing attention to social identities such as gender, race, ethnicity, and occupation. Findings highlight how digital labor platforms reinforce and exacerbate identity-based stereotypes, bias and expectations in online freelance work. We focus on online freelancing as this form of working arrangement is becoming more prevalent. Online freelancing also relies on the market-making power of digital platforms to create an online labor market. Many see this as one likely future of work with less bias. Others worry that labor platforms' market power allows them to embed known biases into new working arrangements: a platformization of inequality. Drawing on data from 108 online freelancers, we discuss six findings: 1) female freelance work is undervalued; 2) gendered occupational expectations; 3) gendered treatment; 4) shared expectations of differential values; 5) racial stereotypes and expectations; and 6) race and ethnicity as an asset. We discuss the role of design in the platformization and visibility of social identity dimensions and the implications of the reinforced identity perceptions and marginalization in digital labor platforms.