Platformization of care and welfare services: PI Anne Kovalainen

The project addresses the transformation of the welfare society by analysing the platformization of care work that takes place globally and transforms both the public care systems and private care markets. The globally found development in care services means that care platforms enable the new formalisation and visibility of informal care labour and care work in many European countries, by suggesting or offering contract templates, for example. The reception and outcomes of the platform care services depend on the welfare service mix of the state in question. At the same time the platformization raises the aspects of entrepreneurialism, digitalization, agency and individuals into new light. The project analyses both theoretical and empirical questions, compares countries and provides answers of the social and welfare transformation through the analyses of care platformization. The project has close collaboration with German, Nordic and UK research networks.

The project draws advantage of the PI’s research work on entrepreneurship, platform economy, gender, analyses of platformization in society, and methodological strengths.