Blurring the boundaries of work: blogging and vlogging as new forms of digital work

Goal

In the recent past, the digitalization of work has been regarded as a far-reaching shift both in public and scientific debates. Moreover, digitalization affects not only work and the economy but also impacts society as a whole. But so far, the question whether and to what extent the Internet facilitates new forms of work has only been investigated to a limited extent from a sociological perspective. Against this background, the research project aims to examine which new forms of digital work are emerging on the Internet and what characterizes them, by using the examples of bloggers and vloggers (video bloggers).

The following questions will guide the research:

Firstly, we will examine the motives of bloggers and vloggers for their actions and the expectations they have. What are the reasons for the activity as paid work? What role is played by the need to make a living, and what role do social recognition and opportunities for self-realization play?

Secondly, we focus on the employment structures and working conditions of bloggers and vloggers. What are the characteristics of blogging and vlogging as paid work? Which activities does this include in concrete terms and which requirements are associated with it?

Research design

The explorative study is based on a two-step approach.

In the first step, blog and vlog contributions are identified in which blogging and vlogging are thematized as paid work. Using text mining methods, we examine the self-portrayals of work by bloggers and vloggers. The analysis covers different thematic areas in order to capture different facets. Based on these results, 18 bloggers and vloggers are selected who represent different thematic areas and whose blog and vlog contributions will be examined in more detail by means of an online content analysis. In a second step, narrative interviews will be conducted with the selected persons in order to explore their perspectives, motivations and employment strategies and to investigate their working conditions and employment structures.