Dunn Michael, Munoz Isabel, Sawyer Steve
Department of Management and Business, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY, United States.
School of Information Studies, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, United States.
Front Sociol. 2021 Aug 31;6:738024. doi: 10.3389/fsoc.2021.738024. eCollection 2021.
We report findings from an ongoing panel study of 68 U.S.-based online freelancers, focusing here on their experiences both pre- and in-pandemic. We see online freelancing as providing a window into one future of work: collaborative knowledge work that is paid by the project and mediated by a digital labor platform. The study's purposive sampling provides for both empirical and conceptual insights into the occupational differences and career plans of freelance workers. The timing of the 2020 data collection provides insight into household changes as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings make clear these workers are facing diminished work flexibility and increased earning uncertainty. And, data show women are more likely than men to reduce working hours to help absorb the increased share of caregiving and other domestic responsibilities. This raises questions of online freelancing as a viable career path or sustainable source of work.
我们报告了一项正在进行的针对68名美国在线自由职业者的小组研究结果，这里重点关注他们在疫情前和疫情期间的经历。我们认为在线自由职业为了解未来的一种工作形式提供了一个窗口：即由项目付费、通过数字劳动平台协调的协作式知识工作。该研究的目的抽样为深入了解自由职业者的职业差异和职业规划提供了实证和概念性见解。2020年数据收集的时间提供了对因新冠疫情导致的家庭变化的洞察。研究结果表明，这些工人面临着工作灵活性降低和收入不确定性增加的问题。而且，数据显示，女性比男性更有可能减少工作时间，以帮助承担更多的照料和其他家务责任。这引发了关于在线自由职业作为一种可行的职业道路或可持续工作来源的问题。
