Hidden Technological Labour

A feminist, interdisciplinary research project in collaboration with L&R Social Research and Urbanity.
Funded by the Digitalisierungsfonds Arbeit 4.0 der AK Wien.

Digitalisation has transformed work, jobs, and working environments. Research has paid a lot of attention to topics such as “industry 4.0”, gig economy and digital employment. However, it is often overlooked how digitalisation has also affected the (often female-dominated) occupations of the service sector. Which (hidden) technological labour do retail employees or mobile care workers perform on a daily basis?

This research question is addressed by an interdisciplinary team of researchers that brings together feminist perspectives from social, spatial and technological sciences. The aim is to place explicit focus on the rarely visible technologies and digital competencies that service workers already employ in their service provision. By bringing their often hidden efforts to the frontstage, we seek to contribute to political debates on revaluating these often underrated and underpaid occupations.

More:

• Project info
• AK Digioffensive
• Publication: “The Hidden Technological Labour of Service Workers in Health and Beauty Shops” (Symposium on Human-Computer Interaction for Work – CHIWORK 2022).
• Blogpost: “Digitale Kompetenzen bei systemrelevanten Berufsfeldern”
• Blogpost: “Aufwertung frauendominierter Berufsfelder! Digitalisierung als Chance?”