The Spirit of Digital Capitalism

Description

Digital technologies are now central to the machinations of capitalism. How are they giving rise to new forms of capital accumulation and domination? And in what terms are these changes being promoted and justified by a new and incredibly powerful elite? This book takes on such questions. Beyond demonstrating how digital technologies make new forms of capital accumulation possible, Huberman interrogates the ideological transformations that have accompanied the emergence of digital capitalism. She examines how business gurus, entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists make claims about how digital technologies contribute to the common good, foster collaboration and connectivity, and render life more convenient, even if this convenience comes at the expense of values such as privacy and liberty. Ultimately, Huberman argues that the spirit of digital capitalism is Janus-faced and reveals deeper cultural contradictions at the heart of contemporary American society: promising, in the same moment, to liberate us and surveil us, enrich us, and yet render our lives more economically precarious. Smart and thought-provoking, this book offers new perspectives that will speak to anyone interested in the contours of contemporary capitalism, particularly students and scholars of economic anthropology and sociology. Cover Title page Copyright Contents Detailed Contents Acknowledgments Prologue: An Occupational Hazard Introduction: The Digital Age and the Spirits of Capitalism Digital capitalism The spirits of capitalism The spirit of capitalism at the end of the nineteenth century The spirit of capitalism at the height of Fordist production The spirit of capitalism in the age of flexible accumulation Silicon Valley and the spirit of digital capitalism Unearthing the spirit of digital capitalism Overview of the chapters A note on ideology 1 The Spirit of Competition: Crowdsourcing through Incentive Competitions Unleashing the spirit of competition, saving the world, and celebrating smartness Leveling the playing field and accelerating progress You pay only the winner! HeroX and platform capitalism Protecting competition and nurturing networks Conclusion: democratizing innovation or exacerbating inequality? 2 The Spirit of Collaboration: Crowdsourcing through Communities The community in society Wired to collaborate Putting community crowdsourcing to work “The accidental business” Community crowdsourcing goes corporate Conclusion: the wealth of networks or corporations? 3 The Spirit of the Game: Smartphone Apps and the Digital Extraction of Surplus Value Earning with apps Blurring the boundaries and gaming the tasks Multiplying moments and multiplying millions Conclusion: free time or free labor? 4 In the Spirit of Convenience: Amazon Go and Surveillance Capitalism Amazon Go Surveillance capitalism The ideology of convenience Naturalization Obfuscation Promotion Conclusion: ideology, extraction, and the convenience economy 5 The Spirit of the Gift: The Work of Techno-philanthropy Hyper-agents MarketWorld Techno-solutionism can save the world The business of giving Teaching the techno-elite how to give: the Silicon Valley Social Venture Fund Blurring the lines between purpose and profit: impact investing and social enterprise The Giving Pledge: making moral agents Conclusion: the power of the gift Conclusion: The Spirit and Contradictions of Digital Capitalism The spirit of digital capitalism Competition and collaboration Creativity and automation, liberation and surveillance Techno-solutionism and social salvation Charity and avarice The consequences of the cultural contradictions of digital capitalism Glimmers of hope Notes Introduction: The Digital Age and the Spirits of Capitalism Chapter 1 The Spirit of Competition: Crowdsourcing through Incentive Competitions Chapter 2 The Spirit of Collaboration: Crowdsourcing through Communities Chapter 3 The Spirit of the Game: Smartphone Apps and the Digital Extraction of Surplus Value Chapter 4 In the Spirit of Convenience: Amazon Go and Surveillance Capitalism Chapter 5 The Spirit of the Gift: The Work of Techno-philanthropy Conclusion: The Spirit and Contradictions of Digital Capitalism References Index EULA