The Gig Economy of Care
Analyzing “The Airbnb of Eldercare” and Its Policy Implications in British Columbia
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6417320 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Alicia Massie (Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada), Kayla Hilstob (0000-0002-6824-5958, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 50 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 68-83 |
| Publication date | 2025-03-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Canadian Journal of Communication (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0705-3657 • E-ISSN: 1499-6642 |
| Publisher | Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences (PUBLISHER • CN) |
| DOI | 10.3138/cjc-2024-0021 |
| OpenAlex | W4408509107 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 16 |
Background: This study critically analyzes the impact of platform capitalism on elder care in British Columbia, focusing on Tuktu, an app-based tech startup that mediates care services through digital platforms. Analysis: Using feminist and intersectional theory, we explore how Tuktu’s business model commodifies care and exploits care workers by misclassifying them as independent contractors and stripping them of labour rights and protections. Conclusions and implications: We advocate for comprehensive policy reforms that ensure equitable labour standards, uphold the dignity of care recipients, and promote community-based care solutions. The study also calls for stronger regulation of digital platforms in the care economy, ensuring that the integration of technology enhances, rather than undermines, the quality of care and labour conditions
Aged care · Business · Economics · Economy · Gig economy · Political science · Sharing economy · Digital Economy and Work Transformation · Housing, Finance, and Neoliberalism · Law · Medicine · Sharing Economy and Platforms · Gerontology
Social Reproduction Theory
Debunking the Myth of Canada as a Non-Colonial Power
Crisis of Care? On the Social-Reproductive Contradictions of Contemporary Capitalism
The Invisible Heart
It's Crowded at the Bottom
New tech, old exploitation
Charting platform capitalism
Seniors’ Long‐Term Care in Canada
Artificial Intelligence and Labour
Recentring care
What Do Platforms Do? Understanding the Gig Economy
Revolution at Point Zero
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |