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    Silicon Welly : the rise of platform capitalism and the paradoxes of precarity in Wellington City : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Social Anthropology at Massey University Manawatū, Aotearoa New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2024-09-20) Halley, Jessica
    This thesis addresses a central question: why do digital workers in Wellington’s tech sector persist despite the inherent precarity of platform capitalism? Examining the career histories of members of the Enspiral Network, a community focused on social entrepreneurship, reveals the paradoxical nature of subjectivity in digital labour. The research employs ethnographic methods, including life histories and narrative analysis, to explore the intersection of software materiality, neoliberal political economy, and Silicon Valley-inspired discourses. It investigates how digital workers navigate the precariousness of platform capitalism through emotional investment in programming and strategic career adaptations. Findings highlight the distinctive influence of Wellington’s cultural, political, and economic landscape on digital labour. The city’s counter-cultural ethos and state-driven entrepreneurial initiatives foster unique collaborative practices and open-source contributions within the tech sector. These elements collectively shape a hybrid form of platform capitalism that challenges traditional capitalist models. In conclusion, this thesis contributes to the understanding of contemporary labour by emphasizing the role of place, subjectivity, and paradox in the production end of platform capitalism. It underscores the active agency of digital workers in constructing their careers and identities amidst precarious conditions, offering insights into the broader implications of digital labour in the twenty-first century.
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    YouTube's modulatory apparatus : young children's participation in YouTube's political economy : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Media Studies, Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2023) Bastos Mareschi Aggio, Amanda
    YouTube is a favoured digital destination for young children between five and six years old. In contrast to accounts that celebrate YouTube as an empowering and democratising platform, this research project examines young children’s interactions with YouTube using political economic and biopolitical approaches which situate children’s participation in the platform as unpaid and exploited labour. The thesis employs thematic analysis drawing on 47 interviews with young children, their parents, and teachers, alongside observations of young children’s usage of YouTube. The key findings are organised around the themes of happiness, attention, popularity and control, which unpack and question notions of digital labour, biopower and the attention economy in relation to the functioning of YouTube and its impact on young children’s lives. Within this analysis I develop the concept of the YouTube’s Modulatory Apparatus (YTMA), a strategic formation composed of the interplay of YouTube’s technical components and the platform’s commercial rationales. My findings suggest children’s feelings, behaviour and subjectivities are influenced by a trustful, intimate and emotional rapport established between young children and the YTMA. The analysis of participants’ accounts of YouTube highlights narratives that can suggest YouTube’s commercial strategies or justify practices of and through its platform.