Abstract

This chapter studies the relatively new topic of sharing economy in international political economy (IPE), describing the concepts of marketization of everyday life, the gig economy, and platform capitalism. It begins by looking at ride-sharing, which is an increasingly popular means of transport that constitutes a significant sector in the for-profit sharing economy. Using the Indonesian ride-hailing company Gojek as an example, the chapter draws out fundamental tensions between solidarity and exploitation that underpin processes of marketization in the sharing economy. It then examines different forms of economic organization and their historical lineages. The different principles that can structure economic exchange include householding, reciprocity, redistribution, and the market. Finally, the chapter evaluates for-profit and not-for-profit dimensions of the sharing economy using the diverse economies framework and community mapping.