Does the Platform clean the Cleaners? An Exploratory Study on the Platformization of Dirty Jobs in Italy
The paper presents the main findings of an exploratory study concerning the platformization of “dirty jobs” – specifically, cleaning work – in Italy, focusing on the Yoopies.it marketplace platform. Cleaning activity is inherently dirty work: an occupation that is likely to be perceived as disgustin...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Firenze University Press
2024-06-01
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| Online Access: | https://oaj.fupress.net/index.php/cambio/article/view/15766 |
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| author | Giovanni Amerigo Giuliani Rebecca Paraciani |
| author_facet | Giovanni Amerigo Giuliani Rebecca Paraciani |
| author_sort | Giovanni Amerigo Giuliani |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The paper presents the main findings of an exploratory study concerning the platformization of “dirty jobs” – specifically, cleaning work – in Italy, focusing on the Yoopies.it marketplace platform. Cleaning activity is inherently dirty work: an occupation that is likely to be perceived as disgusting or degrading and that has strong gender and ethnic connotations in Italy. Invisibility is ideal for this type of service, but what happens when the platform contributes to the visibility of dirty workers? Our main expectation is that marketplace platforms reproduce the historically gendered and racialized nature of domestic work, which is present offline. We selected and analyzed the content of 50 cleaner profiles in Bologna, Florence, Milan, and Rome for a total of 200 profiles within the Yoopies.it platform. The article shows that the platform does reproduce the historically gendered nature of cleaning work. Simultaneously, two further main findings emerge from our empirical analysis: 1) the platform creates new barriers to access to work, especially for migrant workers, and 2) the platform acts as a leveler of prices, though downwards.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c9e19498ff8c4d209e7f5d170e82db1e |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2239-1118 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-06-01 |
| publisher | Firenze University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cambio |
| spelling | doaj-art-c9e19498ff8c4d209e7f5d170e82db1e2025-08-20T03:22:21ZengFirenze University PressCambio2239-11182024-06-01142710.36253/cambio-15766Does the Platform clean the Cleaners? An Exploratory Study on the Platformization of Dirty Jobs in ItalyGiovanni Amerigo Giuliani0Rebecca Paraciani1University of Bologna, ItalyUniversity of Bologna, ItalyThe paper presents the main findings of an exploratory study concerning the platformization of “dirty jobs” – specifically, cleaning work – in Italy, focusing on the Yoopies.it marketplace platform. Cleaning activity is inherently dirty work: an occupation that is likely to be perceived as disgusting or degrading and that has strong gender and ethnic connotations in Italy. Invisibility is ideal for this type of service, but what happens when the platform contributes to the visibility of dirty workers? Our main expectation is that marketplace platforms reproduce the historically gendered and racialized nature of domestic work, which is present offline. We selected and analyzed the content of 50 cleaner profiles in Bologna, Florence, Milan, and Rome for a total of 200 profiles within the Yoopies.it platform. The article shows that the platform does reproduce the historically gendered nature of cleaning work. Simultaneously, two further main findings emerge from our empirical analysis: 1) the platform creates new barriers to access to work, especially for migrant workers, and 2) the platform acts as a leveler of prices, though downwards. https://oaj.fupress.net/index.php/cambio/article/view/15766 dirty jobcleanersplatform economyYoopiesdomestic work |
| spellingShingle | Giovanni Amerigo Giuliani Rebecca Paraciani Does the Platform clean the Cleaners? An Exploratory Study on the Platformization of Dirty Jobs in Italy Cambio dirty job cleaners platform economy Yoopies domestic work |
| title | Does the Platform clean the Cleaners? An Exploratory Study on the Platformization of Dirty Jobs in Italy |
| title_full | Does the Platform clean the Cleaners? An Exploratory Study on the Platformization of Dirty Jobs in Italy |
| title_fullStr | Does the Platform clean the Cleaners? An Exploratory Study on the Platformization of Dirty Jobs in Italy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Does the Platform clean the Cleaners? An Exploratory Study on the Platformization of Dirty Jobs in Italy |
| title_short | Does the Platform clean the Cleaners? An Exploratory Study on the Platformization of Dirty Jobs in Italy |
| title_sort | does the platform clean the cleaners an exploratory study on the platformization of dirty jobs in italy |
| topic | dirty job cleaners platform economy Yoopies domestic work |
| url | https://oaj.fupress.net/index.php/cambio/article/view/15766 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT giovanniamerigogiuliani doestheplatformcleanthecleanersanexploratorystudyontheplatformizationofdirtyjobsinitaly AT rebeccaparaciani doestheplatformcleanthecleanersanexploratorystudyontheplatformizationofdirtyjobsinitaly |