The Collaborative and Sharing Economy

This chapter reviews what various authors have said about collaboration and sharing in consumption and work, and describes the transformations related to the gig economy and their consequences in the labour market. It discusses some alternative options for contemporary collaborative processes. Given the historical precedents, be it a business model, consumer identity or a political movement, one might easily envisage the sharing economy becoming central to a new way of producing and consuming. The sharing economy is market-based and puts underutilized labour and resources to productive use, allowing people’s time and technology to be allocated where it can be of use. In an ideal sharing economy, it is expected that there will be more options for its participants, a better future in terms of sustainable production and consumption and increased and denser forms of social interaction. Post-Fordist ideas about flexible or contingent labour became popularly discussed during the 1980s as a part of firms’ overall outsourcing strategy.