<apologies for repeated exposure> Hi all I am delighted to announce the publication of the first volume in the new book series, "Dynamics of Virtual Work". cheers, Mathieu =-=-=-= Digital Labour and Prosumer Capitalism: The US Matrix. Fraysse, O. & O'Neil, M. (eds) Palgrave, 2015.
From the back cover:
The global dimension of recreational and professional uses of information and communication technologies makes them look universal and almost ahistorical. Aiming to reterritorialize globalized issues, this collection interrogates new forms of digital labour as economic facts and as ideological justifications for the social order, both of which emerged in the United States. Digital Labour and Prosumer Capitalism features contributions from some of the leading theorists of value and labour in the digital age, as well as incisive case studies of swiping technologies, collaborative consumption, and convergent media. It explores the two core dynamics at the heart of digital work: tasks, or services, are broken down into components or modularized, and users work for no pay and become "prosumers". Placing digital labour and prosumption within the wider political economy, this volume presents a deeply contextualized critical account of the forces which shape contemporary subjects, networks, and work practices. The enrolment of consumers into production undermines labour rights, benefiting US digital corporations. Yet digital labour may ultimately challenge the capitalist logic, as user disregard for property rights extends from bits to atoms. What the people said: "Digital capitalism marks an epochal moment of historical transition, both in society and in thought. Proliferating digital devices are enabling a rapidly growing share of all human activity to be appropriated by capital. What does this signify for labour? The contributors to this volume - a welcome mix of seasoned analysts and younger scholars - give us tools for forging the critical reason we will need in order to understand our swiftly changing reality." -Dan Schiller, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA "Digital Labour and Prosumer Capitalism is a brilliant exploration of the contradictions within the social relations and the ideological underpinnings of technological utopianism and the so-called sharing economy." - David Bensman, Rutgers University, USA "This collection is excellent reading for anyone wanting to better understand digital capitalism and why it needs to be replaced with an alternative, just, and democratic societal formation." -Christian Fuchs, University of Westminster, UK Authors: Olivier Frayssé is Professor of American Studies at Paris-Sorbonne University, France. Mathieu O'Neil is Associate Professor of Communication at the University of Canberra, Australia and Adjunct Research Fellow at the Australian National University, Australia. Sample chapter here: http://www.palgrave.com/resources/sample-chapters/9781137473899_sample.pdf More information here: http://www.palgrave.com/page/detail/digital-labour-and-prosumer-capitalism-o... =-=-=-=