{"id":"https://openalex.org/W3048411575","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0163443720948018","title":"Digital labour: an empty signifier?","display_name":"Digital labour: an empty signifier?","publication_year":2020,"publication_date":"2020-08-12","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W3048411575","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0163443720948018","mag":"3048411575"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.1177/0163443720948018","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0163443720948018","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0163443720948018","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S18522216","display_name":"Media Culture & Society","issn_l":"0163-4437","issn":["0163-4437","1460-3675"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"listed_in":["abdc-b","anvur-class-a","anvur-scientific","cwts-core","erih-plus","jufo-3","norway-2","poland-100","russia-white-list-1","vabb-shw"],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310320017","host_organization_name":"SAGE Publishing","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310320017"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["SAGE Publishing"],"type":"journal"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Media, Culture & Society","raw_type":"journal-article"},"volume":null,"type":"article","indexed_in":["crossref"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"green","oa_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/2434/773349","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5072902808","display_name":"Alessandro Gandini","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7705-7625","observed_orcids":["https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7705-7625"]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I189158943","display_name":"University of Milan","ror":"https://ror.org/00wjc7c48","country_code":"IT","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I189158943"]}],"countries":["IT"],"is_corresponding":true,"raw_author_name":"Alessandro Gandini","raw_affiliation_strings":["University of Milan, Italy"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7705-7625","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"University of Milan, Italy","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I189158943"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":1,"institutions_distinct_count":1,"corresponding_author_ids":["https://openalex.org/A5072902808"],"corresponding_institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I189158943"],"apc_list":{"value":3000,"currency":"USD","value_usd":3000},"apc_paid":null,"fwci":11.3626,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":103,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.98407335,"is_in_top_1_percent":false,"is_in_top_10_percent":true},"cited_by_percentile_year":{"min":98,"max":100},"biblio":{"volume":"43","issue":"2","first_page":"369","last_page":"380"},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T12501","display_name":"Digital Economy and Work Transformation","score":0.9994999766349792,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3312","display_name":"Sociology and Political Science"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T12501","display_name":"Digital Economy and Work Transformation","score":0.9994999766349792,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3312","display_name":"Sociology and Political Science"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T13088","display_name":"Legal and Labor Studies","score":0.0005000000237487257,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1410","display_name":"Industrial relations"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/14","display_name":"Business, Management and Accounting"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11743","display_name":"Political Economy and Marxism","score":9.999999747378752e-05,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3312","display_name":"Sociology and Political Science"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/digital-labour","display_name":"digital labor","score":1.0},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/empty-signifier","display_name":"empty signifier","score":0.9929999709129333},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/platform-work","display_name":"platform work","score":0.9660000205039978},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/unpaid-work","display_name":"unpaid work","score":0.5870000123977661},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/social-media-users","display_name":"social media users","score":0.7390000224113464},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/conceptual-evolution","display_name":"conceptual evolution","score":0.37599998712539673}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C133437341","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1639471","display_name":"Marxist philosophy","level":3,"score":0.7084135413169861},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C17632256","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1076968","display_name":"Digital media","level":2,"score":0.526669442653656},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C136197465","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1729295","display_name":"Variety (cybernetics)","level":2,"score":0.5265676975250244},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C18762648","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q42213","display_name":"Work (physics)","level":2,"score":0.5216013193130493},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C110875604","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q75","display_name":"The Internet","level":2,"score":0.5175594687461853},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C144024400","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21201","display_name":"Sociology","level":0,"score":0.4988586902618408},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C25343380","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q277521","display_name":"Relation (database)","level":2,"score":0.47799673676490784},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C94625758","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7163","display_name":"Politics","level":2,"score":0.4754968583583832},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C203043789","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138461","display_name":"Digital economy","level":2,"score":0.4102356433868408},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C133425853","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q60571","display_name":"Neoclassical economics","level":1,"score":0.38065236806869507},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C162324750","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8134","display_name":"Economics","level":0,"score":0.35589340329170227},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C138921699","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q47555","display_name":"Political economy","level":1,"score":0.32053545117378235},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C17744445","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q36442","display_name":"Political science","level":0,"score":0.1987360715866089},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C199539241","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7748","display_name":"Law","level":1,"score":0.14905428886413574},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C127413603","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11023","display_name":"Engineering","level":0,"score":0.09624195098876953},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C136764020","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q466","display_name":"World Wide Web","level":1,"score":0.0},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.0},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C78519656","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q101333","display_name":"Mechanical engineering","level":1,"score":0.0},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C77088390","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8513","display_name":"Database","level":1,"score":0.0},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C154945302","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11660","display_name":"Artificial intelligence","level":1,"score":0.0}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":2,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.1177/0163443720948018","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0163443720948018","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0163443720948018","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S18522216","display_name":"Media Culture & Society","issn_l":"0163-4437","issn":["0163-4437","1460-3675"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"listed_in":["abdc-b","anvur-class-a","anvur-scientific","cwts-core","erih-plus","jufo-3","norway-2","poland-100","russia-white-list-1","vabb-shw"],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310320017","host_organization_name":"SAGE Publishing","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310320017"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["SAGE Publishing"],"type":"journal"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Media, Culture & Society","raw_type":"journal-article"},{"id":"pmh:oai:air.unimi.it:2434/773349","doi":null,"is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/2434/773349","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400516","display_name":"Archivio Istituzionale della Ricerca (Universita Degli Studi Di Milano)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I189158943","host_organization_name":"University of Milan","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I189158943"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"other-oa","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/other-oa","version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":"","raw_type":"info:eu-repo/semantics/article"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"pmh:oai:air.unimi.it:2434/773349","doi":null,"is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/2434/773349","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400516","display_name":"Archivio Istituzionale della Ricerca (Universita Degli Studi Di Milano)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I189158943","host_organization_name":"University of Milan","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I189158943"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"other-oa","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/other-oa","version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":"","raw_type":"info:eu-repo/semantics/article"},"sustainable_development_goals":[{"id":"https://metadata.un.org/sdg/8","display_name":"Decent work and economic growth","score":0.7257999777793884}],"study_designs":[],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":false,"pdf":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":56,"referenced_works":["https://openalex.org/W8375484","https://openalex.org/W178437142","https://openalex.org/W1501447279","https://openalex.org/W1502529283","https://openalex.org/W1547603200","https://openalex.org/W1560427154","https://openalex.org/W1881982024","https://openalex.org/W1907081156","https://openalex.org/W1917148660","https://openalex.org/W1963999482","https://openalex.org/W1972757415","https://openalex.org/W1987521056","https://openalex.org/W2023691190","https://openalex.org/W2058590479","https://openalex.org/W2075816880","https://openalex.org/W2083353365","https://openalex.org/W2115906093","https://openalex.org/W2116339082","https://openalex.org/W2132354281","https://openalex.org/W2144419511","https://openalex.org/W2162551201","https://openalex.org/W2170696558","https://openalex.org/W2171323324","https://openalex.org/W2186469322","https://openalex.org/W2187046841","https://openalex.org/W2586852225","https://openalex.org/W2590882924","https://openalex.org/W2597072875","https://openalex.org/W2604919860","https://openalex.org/W2608889565","https://openalex.org/W2793860687","https://openalex.org/W2799513409","https://openalex.org/W2801313916","https://openalex.org/W2801353312","https://openalex.org/W2892117148","https://openalex.org/W2910937449","https://openalex.org/W2918605963","https://openalex.org/W2946689273","https://openalex.org/W2951257622","https://openalex.org/W2983291947","https://openalex.org/W3028503947","https://openalex.org/W3033307259","https://openalex.org/W3084163594","https://openalex.org/W3093272061","https://openalex.org/W3121514645","https://openalex.org/W3123711316","https://openalex.org/W4230844464","https://openalex.org/W4233928625","https://openalex.org/W4236635370","https://openalex.org/W4249673087","https://openalex.org/W4250072968","https://openalex.org/W4251463632","https://openalex.org/W4255444434","https://openalex.org/W4290458191","https://openalex.org/W4391910837","https://openalex.org/W6704644746"],"related_works":["https://openalex.org/W7096161436","https://openalex.org/W7214994422","https://openalex.org/W1501447279","https://openalex.org/W1833445951","https://openalex.org/W7119522615","https://openalex.org/W3193583236","https://openalex.org/W3001904383","https://openalex.org/W4408267697","https://openalex.org/W6908552875","https://openalex.org/W7204476531"],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Since":[0],"the":[1,4,15,19,27,46,67,87,119,139],"early":[2],"2000s,":[3],"expression":[5,50],"\u2018digital":[6,98],"labour\u2019":[7,99],"has":[8,51,100],"identified":[9],"an":[10,54],"influential":[11],"theoretical":[12],"proposition":[13],"in":[14],"Marxist":[16],"critique":[17],"of":[18,22,31,38,62,104,121],"political":[20],"economy":[21],"digital":[23,73],"media,":[24],"which":[25],"sees":[26],"leisure-driven,":[28],"unpaid":[29],"activities":[30],"social":[32],"media":[33],"users":[34],"as":[35],"unremunerated":[36],"forms":[37],"work":[39,78],"contributing":[40],"to":[41,58,86,108,132],"Internet":[42],"companies\u2019":[43],"profits.":[44],"Over":[45],"years,":[47],"however,":[48],"this":[49,92,94],"evolved":[52],"into":[53],"umbrella":[55],"term,":[56],"used":[57],"describe":[59],"a":[60,102,110],"variety":[61],"practices":[63],"and":[64,72,128,137],"instances":[65],"concerning":[66],"broader":[68],"relationship":[69],"between":[70],"labour":[71],"technology":[74],"\u2013":[75,79],"including":[76],"paid":[77],"often":[80],"with":[81],"little":[82],"or":[83,114],"no":[84],"relation":[85],"original":[88],"theory.":[89],"Reflecting":[90],"on":[91,118],"evolution,":[93],"article":[95],"argues":[96],"that":[97],"become":[101],"kind":[103],"empty":[105],"signifier,":[106],"unable":[107],"serve":[109],"clearly":[111],"distinguishable":[112],"critical":[113],"analytical":[115],"purpose.":[116],"Focusing":[117],"emergence":[120],"platform":[122],"labour,":[123],"it":[124],"shows":[125],"how":[126],"\u2018digital\u2019":[127],"\u2018labour\u2019":[129],"have":[130],"come":[131],"be":[133],"largely":[134],"inseparable":[135],"dimensions":[136],"discusses":[138],"related":[140],"implications.":[141]},"counts_by_year":[{"year":2026,"cited_by_count":19},{"year":2025,"cited_by_count":27},{"year":2024,"cited_by_count":23},{"year":2023,"cited_by_count":13},{"year":2022,"cited_by_count":15},{"year":2021,"cited_by_count":6}],"updated_date":"2026-10-30T12:39:25.321706","created_date":"2020-08-18T00:00:00"}