Tracing teacher labour across platform infrastructures: Governing of conduct, public APIs and algorithmic powers

• This paper aims to contribute to the emerging research on how teacher digital work socio- technically is governed and ordered by the infrastructural powers of digital platforms (e.g. Bergviken Rensfeldt, Hillman & Selwyn 2018; Perotta et al. 2021; Plantin et al. 2018), and the political economy of platforms that now forms a part of a deregulated and privatized welfare state governance. In particular, the paper focuses on how teacher work across platforms is promoted and performed, on learning platforms integrated into public education, and on social media platforms. The paper brings together analyses from research projects focused on teacher work on platforms in Sweden, including its recent impact due to the pandemic (Cone et al. 2021). The paper draws on trace ethnography methods (Geiger & Ribes 2011) to investigate the discursive-material traces (Barad 2003) of teacher work and how it is enabled or circumscribed by powers shaping cross-platform work. In-depth computational methods (social media scraping and self-tracking) were used as reflective tools and selectively chosen based on the digital work traces from 1) one social media case, 2) teachers digital work logs, 3) school platform infrastructural policies. Three analytical aspects were examined. Firstly, (neo)liberal governmentalities producing preferred digital work behaviors, secondly, mediating powers of ‘public’ Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), translating between platforms, thirdly, algorithmic powers that intervene in work, e.g. by (semi-) automated moderation or management orderings. Apart from concerns around the digital labor exploitation of public sector work, the paper aims to discuss the shifting neoliberal welfare sector politics with weakened ties to the social rights of public sector work.

Ämnesord

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Annan teknik -- Interaktionsteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Other Engineering and Technologies -- Interaction Technologies (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Annan samhällsvetenskap -- Arbetslivsstudier (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Other Social Sciences -- Work Sciences (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Utbildningsvetenskap -- Pedagogik (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Educational Sciences -- Pedagogy (hsv//eng)

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