Prosumer capitalism in the sharing economy: a gender approach to service providers’ experiences in ridesharing platforms

Introduction: The study draws on the theory of “prosumer capitalism” to explore the experiences of female drivers in ridesharing platforms. Methods: Twenty-five phenomenological in-depth interviews were carried out with Mexican female drivers in ridesharing platforms. Results: The results yielded insights regarding the motives of women to become rideshare drivers, their prosumption experiences, and gender issues related to the job. Discussion: The study offers a novel gender-based approach to comprehend the status of female service providers as prosumer-as-producers and the diverse risks and challenges they face while working in the sharing economy. In a practical sense, platform designers and marketers can improve the application functions to attend to the specific needs of female drivers and implement inclusive measures to safeguard their integrity and well-being. ©2024 Frontiers in Sociology, Copyright © 2024 Castillo-Villar, Castillo-Villar and Castillo-Villar.

1. Introduction -- 2. Literature review -- 2.1 The paradox of the sharing economy -- 2.2 The paradoxical nature of the prosumer in the SE -- 2.3 A gender equality approach to p-a-p in the SE -- 3. Methodology -- 4. Analysis of results -- 4.1 Becoming a rideshare driver -- 4.2 The prosumer-as-production experience -- 4.3 Gender discrimination and sexual harassment in the SE -- 5. Theoretical discussion -- 6. Practical implications -- 7. Conclusion.