Cultural Work as a Site of Struggle: Freelancers and Exploitation
This paper argues that Marxist political economy is a useful framework for understanding contemporary conditions of cultural work. Drawing on Karl Marx’s foundational concepts, labour process theory, and a case study of freelance writers, I argue that the debate over autonomy and control in cultural...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Paderborn University: Media Systems and Media Organisation Research Group
2012-05-01
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| Series: | tripleC: Communication, Capitalism & Critique |
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| Online Access: | https://www.triple-c.at/index.php/tripleC/article/view/384 |
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| _version_ | 1850043690304667648 |
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| author | Nicole S. Cohen |
| author_facet | Nicole S. Cohen |
| author_sort | Nicole S. Cohen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper argues that Marxist political economy is a useful framework for understanding contemporary conditions of cultural work. Drawing on Karl Marx’s foundational concepts, labour process theory, and a case study of freelance writers, I argue that the debate over autonomy and control in cultural work ignores exploitation in labour-capital relationships, which is a crucial process shaping cultural work. To demonstrate the benefits of this approach, I discuss two methods media firms use to extract surplus value from freelance writers: exploitation of unpaid labour time and exploitation of intellectual property through aggressive copyright regimes. I argue that a Marxist perspective can uncover the dynamics that are transforming cultural industries and workers’ experiences. From this perspective, cultural work is understood as a site of struggle.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1fdd435996db4e4c9bc9da09e5c01334 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1726-670X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2012-05-01 |
| publisher | Paderborn University: Media Systems and Media Organisation Research Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | tripleC: Communication, Capitalism & Critique |
| spelling | doaj-art-1fdd435996db4e4c9bc9da09e5c013342025-08-20T02:55:10ZengPaderborn University: Media Systems and Media Organisation Research GrouptripleC: Communication, Capitalism & Critique1726-670X2012-05-0110210.31269/triplec.v10i2.384384Cultural Work as a Site of Struggle: Freelancers and ExploitationNicole S. CohenThis paper argues that Marxist political economy is a useful framework for understanding contemporary conditions of cultural work. Drawing on Karl Marx’s foundational concepts, labour process theory, and a case study of freelance writers, I argue that the debate over autonomy and control in cultural work ignores exploitation in labour-capital relationships, which is a crucial process shaping cultural work. To demonstrate the benefits of this approach, I discuss two methods media firms use to extract surplus value from freelance writers: exploitation of unpaid labour time and exploitation of intellectual property through aggressive copyright regimes. I argue that a Marxist perspective can uncover the dynamics that are transforming cultural industries and workers’ experiences. From this perspective, cultural work is understood as a site of struggle. https://www.triple-c.at/index.php/tripleC/article/view/384Cultural workMarxpolitical economyfreelancersexploitationlabour process |
| spellingShingle | Nicole S. Cohen Cultural Work as a Site of Struggle: Freelancers and Exploitation tripleC: Communication, Capitalism & Critique Cultural work Marx political economy freelancers exploitation labour process |
| title | Cultural Work as a Site of Struggle: Freelancers and Exploitation |
| title_full | Cultural Work as a Site of Struggle: Freelancers and Exploitation |
| title_fullStr | Cultural Work as a Site of Struggle: Freelancers and Exploitation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cultural Work as a Site of Struggle: Freelancers and Exploitation |
| title_short | Cultural Work as a Site of Struggle: Freelancers and Exploitation |
| title_sort | cultural work as a site of struggle freelancers and exploitation |
| topic | Cultural work Marx political economy freelancers exploitation labour process |
| url | https://www.triple-c.at/index.php/tripleC/article/view/384 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT nicolescohen culturalworkasasiteofstrugglefreelancersandexploitation |