SlideShare a Scribd company logo
Juhana Venäläinen
PhD, postdoctoral researcher
University of Eastern Finland
juhana.venalainen@uef.fi
Between exchange and gift-giving?
Economic moralities of self-organisedlong-distanceridesharing
13th European Sociological Association Conference / RN05_RN09_07b_P_JS: JOINT SESSION: Re-thinking Market Capitalism:
The Rise of Alternative Forms of Economic Exchange I / Athens, Greece / 31 August 2017
— Part of a Kone Foundation funded project "Rights,
excludability, and the social production of value in the models
of the new economy”
— Sub-study: Ridesharing as an interface to the ”sharing
economy”
— Research topics:
— Social dynamics of the ridesharing groups and the role of technological
platforms in shaping them
— Motivations of the providers and users, and the understandings of the
"economic" characteristics of ridesharing
— The potential tensions with traditional public transport services and
the more business-oriented understandings of the sharing economy
— 1. Contextualizing self-organised
long-distance ridesharing in Finland
— 2. Economic moralities of ridesharing,
and the problem of a just price
— 3. Concluding remarks:
Political undertones of ridesharing
— In 2010s, long-distance (i.e. city-to-city)
ridesharing in Finland has been mostly
organized through Facebook groups
established and moderated by individual
persons
— Over250 000 members in ca. 160 groups
(c.f. population of 5m in Finland)
— Groups typically named eitherby
destination, origin, area, orcertain route
”Journey starts from Joensuu around six in the morning.
The route goes through Lappeenranta. There is space for
two passengers in the car.”
— A systemof co-operationand peer production between strangers
— Provides meansof subsistencewith less dependenceon money
— Upscales and de-personifies traditional practicesof mutualaid
— Contributes toa kind of ”transportcommons” /
mobility “commoning” (see De Angelis 2017)
— The self-organized model contrastswith the commercial mobile-
app based sharing platforms (such as BlaBlaCar) popular in
many Europeancountries
What kind of economic moralities
characterise ridesharing as an
institution of sharing?
David Graeber (2014): ”On the Moral Grounds of
Economic Relations. A Maussian Approach.”
"I wish to propose three fundamentally
different moral logics lying behind
phenomena that we class together as ’the
gift’. These exist everywhere in different
forms and articulations, so that in any
given situation there are several kinds of
moral reasoning actors could apply. "
no reciprocity
unilateral generosity
inequality
HIERARCHY
COMMUNISM
altruistic mutuality
permanent ”indebtness”
economy as conviviality
EXCHANGE
calculative mutuality
temporary transactions
independence
David Graeber (2014): ”On the Moral Grounds of
Economic Relations. A Maussian Approach.”
— Research material: Three conversations
(related to polls) about the acceptable
price of a ride from the Finland’s biggest
ridesharing group in 2014–2015
— 387 posts
— Arguments identified and classified in two
iterations (#1: 12 categories, #2: 4
categories)
CO-PRODUCTION (DOING TOGETHER), COMMUNALITY, SOCIABILITY, ECOLOGICAL VALUES,
GOOD SPIRIT, CHATTING, TRAVEL COMPANION, SHARING THE LABOUR OF DRIVING
— ”It feels like the nitpickers in this group have lost this certain principle
of communality […] like that you do something together, and then at the
same time, both will get something for themselves, like a good mood, a
little bit of money for gasoline, or nice companion. […] You don't have to
take ridesharers, if the motive is to make them pay for the expenses of
your car.”
NOMINAL FEE, "SOMETHING FOR ONE'S PAINS", "PAY WHAT YOU WANT", POSSIBILITY TO PAY
OR NOT TO PAY, NO PROFIT MOTIVE, NO BUSINESS, NO EARNING, NO BILLING OF ACTUAL
EXPENSES, ONE MAY ASK FOR MONEY BUT NOT DEMAND IT
— ”I have always written in my own posts that a ridesharer may decide to
pay or not to pay a sum of his/her choice. Every time someone has paid
something, but my principle is that if someone needs a ride but doesn't
have money, they can still join in.”
FIXED PRICE PER KILOMETER, PRICE BASED ON AVG. CONSUMPTION OF FUEL, PRICE BASED
ON MILEAGE ALLOWANCE RELIEF, FIXED PRICE FOR A ROUTE, A "REASONABLE" OR "RIGHT"
PRICE
— "There is a law mandating that one can only share the fuel expenses. I
myself divided the average consumption [of fuel] between passengers
based on how many kilometers they travelled. […]"
QUESTION OF FAIR PRICE AS ”EVERYONE’S OWN BUSINESS” OR ”SOMETHING NOT TO BE
DISCUSSED ABOUT”, NEGOTIATION OF THE PRICE AS A MUTUAL CONTRACT, PRICE AS A
NATURAL OUTCOME OF SUPPLY AND DEMAND
— ”I think it gets too complicated if you start to think about the price in
too much detail. Things get messy if soon no one knows how much to
ask or how much to pay for a ride. Just settle it with mutually with the
driver, vice versa, and that’s it.”
COMMUNISM
altruistic mutuality
permanent ”indebtness”
economy as conviviality
EXCHANGE
calculative mutuality
temporary transactions
independence
COMMUNISM
altruistic mutuality
permanent ”indebtness”
economy as conviviality
EXCHANGE
calculative mutuality
temporary transactions
independence
1. Producing
common
good
2. Minimal
money-
mediatedness
4. Individualized
quasi-market
3. Calculative
fairness
social production of
extra-economic
value as a goal in
itself
money as a nominal
”token” that
expresses trustand
prevents free-riding
pricing based on
allegedly objective
criteria
pricing as a private
affair between the
ridetaker and the
ridegiver
— Discussionabout money and the just price of a ride
brings about the political undertone of ridesharing
— Ridesharingis influencedby various (and partly conflicting) forms
of economicreasoning
— The ”communist” moral logics in ridesharingemphasize ”extra-
economic” prioritiesandmotivationssuch as subsistence, care,
mutual aid, distribution of surplus, and conviviality
— In this sense, ridesharingis notonly about tacklingthe obvious
inefficiency of the transportsystembased on private cars, but about
a practical experimentationof trying to rethink,reframe andre-
experience”the economy”
Thank you!
juhana.venalainen@uef.fi
http://juhanavenalainen.net
— De Angelis, Massimo (2017) Omnia sunt communia. London: Zed Books.
— Finnish Transport Agency (2012) National Transport Survey 2010–2011. Helsinki:
Finnish Transport Agency.
http://www2.liikennevirasto.fi/julkaisut/pdf3/lr_2012_henkiloliikennetutkimus_we
b.pdf
— Graeber, David (2014) On the moral grounds of economic relations: A Maussian
approach. Journal f Classical Sociology 14 (1), 65–77.
— Light, Ann & Miskelly, Clodagh (2015) Sharing Economy vs Sharing Cultures?
Designing for social, economic and environmental good. InteractionDesignand
Architectures 24, 49–62.
— Cover photo: Ant_S95: M30 Traffic light trails (Flickr.com, cc by-nc)

More Related Content

Similar to Between exchange and gift-giving? Economic moralities of self-organised long-distance ridesharing

How can the stigma of public transport as the 'poor man's vehicle' be overcom...
How can the stigma of public transport as the 'poor man's vehicle' be overcom...How can the stigma of public transport as the 'poor man's vehicle' be overcom...
How can the stigma of public transport as the 'poor man's vehicle' be overcom...
Nuno Quental
 
Carsharing, Ridesharing, Carpooling and all...
Carsharing, Ridesharing, Carpooling and all...Carsharing, Ridesharing, Carpooling and all...
Carsharing, Ridesharing, Carpooling and all...
Hugo Guyader
 
Buying People Out Of Their Single Occupancy Vehicles
Buying People Out Of Their Single Occupancy VehiclesBuying People Out Of Their Single Occupancy Vehicles
Buying People Out Of Their Single Occupancy Vehicles
CALSTART
 
Transportation Expert Alan Pisarski\'s Presentation on Cap and Trade
Transportation Expert Alan Pisarski\'s Presentation on Cap and TradeTransportation Expert Alan Pisarski\'s Presentation on Cap and Trade
Transportation Expert Alan Pisarski\'s Presentation on Cap and Trade
James Barnes
 
Alan Pisarski's Presentation to the 2009 Highway Users Annual Meeting
Alan Pisarski's Presentation to the 2009 Highway Users Annual MeetingAlan Pisarski's Presentation to the 2009 Highway Users Annual Meeting
Alan Pisarski's Presentation to the 2009 Highway Users Annual Meeting
James Barnes
 
Mobility Justice
Mobility JusticeMobility Justice
Mobility Justice
Aditya Pawar
 
"Collaboration in Cities: From Sharing to ‘Sharing Economy’". World Economic...
 "Collaboration in Cities: From Sharing to ‘Sharing Economy’". World Economic... "Collaboration in Cities: From Sharing to ‘Sharing Economy’". World Economic...
"Collaboration in Cities: From Sharing to ‘Sharing Economy’". World Economic...
eraser Juan José Calderón
 
Athens Ridesharing-Final-Project
Athens Ridesharing-Final-ProjectAthens Ridesharing-Final-Project
Athens Ridesharing-Final-Project
Elena Katsara
 
Exploring the practice of collaborative consumption
Exploring the practice of collaborative consumptionExploring the practice of collaborative consumption
Exploring the practice of collaborative consumption
Hugo Guyader
 
Future of Mobility
Future of MobilityFuture of Mobility
Future of Mobility
Business Finland
 
Collaborative consumption Alexandra Penel english
Collaborative consumption Alexandra Penel englishCollaborative consumption Alexandra Penel english
Collaborative consumption Alexandra Penel english
Alexandra Brandt
 
Embracing Mobility Disruption
Embracing Mobility DisruptionEmbracing Mobility Disruption
Embracing Mobility Disruption
Graeme Banister
 
Movby - Move Local
Movby - Move LocalMovby - Move Local
Movby - Move Local
Enrique Crespo de Benito
 
Dec 2 post proof
Dec 2 post proofDec 2 post proof
Dec 2 post proof
Rubi Soto
 
Welcome to the ecosystem of the collaborative economy
Welcome to the ecosystem of the collaborative economyWelcome to the ecosystem of the collaborative economy
Welcome to the ecosystem of the collaborative economy
shareNL
 
Transportation diversity (options and choices) shashikant nishant sharma
Transportation diversity (options and choices)  shashikant nishant sharmaTransportation diversity (options and choices)  shashikant nishant sharma
Transportation diversity (options and choices) shashikant nishant sharma
Shashikant Nishant Sharma
 
Bike Summit Calls for Changes in Push for Bike Ways - Memphis Daily News
Bike Summit Calls for Changes in Push for Bike Ways - Memphis Daily NewsBike Summit Calls for Changes in Push for Bike Ways - Memphis Daily News
Bike Summit Calls for Changes in Push for Bike Ways - Memphis Daily News
Bike Walk Tennessee
 
Carpool
CarpoolCarpool
Carpool
merve
 
How Service Design can end the Uberization of the Sharing Economy - Raz Godel...
How Service Design can end the Uberization of the Sharing Economy - Raz Godel...How Service Design can end the Uberization of the Sharing Economy - Raz Godel...
How Service Design can end the Uberization of the Sharing Economy - Raz Godel...
Service Design Network
 
Future of Urban Mobility
Future of Urban MobilityFuture of Urban Mobility
Future of Urban Mobility
Boyd Cohen
 

Similar to Between exchange and gift-giving? Economic moralities of self-organised long-distance ridesharing (20)

How can the stigma of public transport as the 'poor man's vehicle' be overcom...
How can the stigma of public transport as the 'poor man's vehicle' be overcom...How can the stigma of public transport as the 'poor man's vehicle' be overcom...
How can the stigma of public transport as the 'poor man's vehicle' be overcom...
 
Carsharing, Ridesharing, Carpooling and all...
Carsharing, Ridesharing, Carpooling and all...Carsharing, Ridesharing, Carpooling and all...
Carsharing, Ridesharing, Carpooling and all...
 
Buying People Out Of Their Single Occupancy Vehicles
Buying People Out Of Their Single Occupancy VehiclesBuying People Out Of Their Single Occupancy Vehicles
Buying People Out Of Their Single Occupancy Vehicles
 
Transportation Expert Alan Pisarski\'s Presentation on Cap and Trade
Transportation Expert Alan Pisarski\'s Presentation on Cap and TradeTransportation Expert Alan Pisarski\'s Presentation on Cap and Trade
Transportation Expert Alan Pisarski\'s Presentation on Cap and Trade
 
Alan Pisarski's Presentation to the 2009 Highway Users Annual Meeting
Alan Pisarski's Presentation to the 2009 Highway Users Annual MeetingAlan Pisarski's Presentation to the 2009 Highway Users Annual Meeting
Alan Pisarski's Presentation to the 2009 Highway Users Annual Meeting
 
Mobility Justice
Mobility JusticeMobility Justice
Mobility Justice
 
"Collaboration in Cities: From Sharing to ‘Sharing Economy’". World Economic...
 "Collaboration in Cities: From Sharing to ‘Sharing Economy’". World Economic... "Collaboration in Cities: From Sharing to ‘Sharing Economy’". World Economic...
"Collaboration in Cities: From Sharing to ‘Sharing Economy’". World Economic...
 
Athens Ridesharing-Final-Project
Athens Ridesharing-Final-ProjectAthens Ridesharing-Final-Project
Athens Ridesharing-Final-Project
 
Exploring the practice of collaborative consumption
Exploring the practice of collaborative consumptionExploring the practice of collaborative consumption
Exploring the practice of collaborative consumption
 
Future of Mobility
Future of MobilityFuture of Mobility
Future of Mobility
 
Collaborative consumption Alexandra Penel english
Collaborative consumption Alexandra Penel englishCollaborative consumption Alexandra Penel english
Collaborative consumption Alexandra Penel english
 
Embracing Mobility Disruption
Embracing Mobility DisruptionEmbracing Mobility Disruption
Embracing Mobility Disruption
 
Movby - Move Local
Movby - Move LocalMovby - Move Local
Movby - Move Local
 
Dec 2 post proof
Dec 2 post proofDec 2 post proof
Dec 2 post proof
 
Welcome to the ecosystem of the collaborative economy
Welcome to the ecosystem of the collaborative economyWelcome to the ecosystem of the collaborative economy
Welcome to the ecosystem of the collaborative economy
 
Transportation diversity (options and choices) shashikant nishant sharma
Transportation diversity (options and choices)  shashikant nishant sharmaTransportation diversity (options and choices)  shashikant nishant sharma
Transportation diversity (options and choices) shashikant nishant sharma
 
Bike Summit Calls for Changes in Push for Bike Ways - Memphis Daily News
Bike Summit Calls for Changes in Push for Bike Ways - Memphis Daily NewsBike Summit Calls for Changes in Push for Bike Ways - Memphis Daily News
Bike Summit Calls for Changes in Push for Bike Ways - Memphis Daily News
 
Carpool
CarpoolCarpool
Carpool
 
How Service Design can end the Uberization of the Sharing Economy - Raz Godel...
How Service Design can end the Uberization of the Sharing Economy - Raz Godel...How Service Design can end the Uberization of the Sharing Economy - Raz Godel...
How Service Design can end the Uberization of the Sharing Economy - Raz Godel...
 
Future of Urban Mobility
Future of Urban MobilityFuture of Urban Mobility
Future of Urban Mobility
 

More from Juhana Venäläinen

The potential and bottlenecks of bicycle commuting in Joensuu
The potential and bottlenecks of bicycle commuting in JoensuuThe potential and bottlenecks of bicycle commuting in Joensuu
The potential and bottlenecks of bicycle commuting in Joensuu
Juhana Venäläinen
 
Sensory commons: scenting the air for a political economy of the sensory
Sensory commons: scenting the air for a political economy of the sensorySensory commons: scenting the air for a political economy of the sensory
Sensory commons: scenting the air for a political economy of the sensory
Juhana Venäläinen
 
Kirjasto yhteiskäytön instituutiona
Kirjasto yhteiskäytön instituutionaKirjasto yhteiskäytön instituutiona
Kirjasto yhteiskäytön instituutiona
Juhana Venäläinen
 
Kimppakyydit kaksinkertaisen ylijäämän taloutena
Kimppakyydit kaksinkertaisen ylijäämän taloutenaKimppakyydit kaksinkertaisen ylijäämän taloutena
Kimppakyydit kaksinkertaisen ylijäämän taloutena
Juhana Venäläinen
 
Kimppakyydit, jakamisen talousmoraalit ja hankala raha
Kimppakyydit, jakamisen talousmoraalit ja hankala rahaKimppakyydit, jakamisen talousmoraalit ja hankala raha
Kimppakyydit, jakamisen talousmoraalit ja hankala raha
Juhana Venäläinen
 
Sosiaalisen median kimppakyytiyhteisöt jakamistalouden rajapintoina
Sosiaalisen median kimppakyytiyhteisöt jakamistalouden rajapintoinaSosiaalisen median kimppakyytiyhteisöt jakamistalouden rajapintoina
Sosiaalisen median kimppakyytiyhteisöt jakamistalouden rajapintoina
Juhana Venäläinen
 
"Where the Internet lives" – performing the material spaces of the "immateria...
"Where the Internet lives" – performing the material spaces of the "immateria..."Where the Internet lives" – performing the material spaces of the "immateria...
"Where the Internet lives" – performing the material spaces of the "immateria...
Juhana Venäläinen
 
Digitalisaatio poliittisena ideana ja paikallisina käytänteinä
Digitalisaatio poliittisena ideana ja paikallisina käytänteinäDigitalisaatio poliittisena ideana ja paikallisina käytänteinä
Digitalisaatio poliittisena ideana ja paikallisina käytänteinä
Juhana Venäläinen
 
Political ecologies of immaterial commoning: data storage, digital waste, and...
Political ecologies of immaterial commoning: data storage, digital waste, and...Political ecologies of immaterial commoning: data storage, digital waste, and...
Political ecologies of immaterial commoning: data storage, digital waste, and...
Juhana Venäläinen
 
Digitaaliset aineistot ja menetelmät kulttuuritieteissä
Digitaaliset aineistot ja menetelmät kulttuuritieteissäDigitaaliset aineistot ja menetelmät kulttuuritieteissä
Digitaaliset aineistot ja menetelmät kulttuuritieteissä
Juhana Venäläinen
 
Sustainability of soundscape tourism: a commons-based approach
Sustainability of soundscape tourism: a commons-based approachSustainability of soundscape tourism: a commons-based approach
Sustainability of soundscape tourism: a commons-based approach
Juhana Venäläinen
 
Tilasto ja kokemus prekarisaatiokeskusteluissa
Tilasto ja kokemus prekarisaatiokeskusteluissaTilasto ja kokemus prekarisaatiokeskusteluissa
Tilasto ja kokemus prekarisaatiokeskusteluissa
Juhana Venäläinen
 
New Commons 6/6: Capitalizing (on) the Common
New Commons 6/6: Capitalizing (on) the CommonNew Commons 6/6: Capitalizing (on) the Common
New Commons 6/6: Capitalizing (on) the Common
Juhana Venäläinen
 
New Commons 5/6: Peer Production and the Networking Commons
New Commons 5/6: Peer Production and the Networking CommonsNew Commons 5/6: Peer Production and the Networking Commons
New Commons 5/6: Peer Production and the Networking Commons
Juhana Venäläinen
 
New Commons 4/6: Authorship and the Cultural Commons
New Commons 4/6: Authorship and the Cultural CommonsNew Commons 4/6: Authorship and the Cultural Commons
New Commons 4/6: Authorship and the Cultural Commons
Juhana Venäläinen
 
New Commons 1/6: Introduction to Commons Research
New Commons 1/6: Introduction to Commons ResearchNew Commons 1/6: Introduction to Commons Research
New Commons 1/6: Introduction to Commons Research
Juhana Venäläinen
 
New Commons 3/6: Ownership and the Urban Commons
New Commons 3/6: Ownership and the Urban CommonsNew Commons 3/6: Ownership and the Urban Commons
New Commons 3/6: Ownership and the Urban Commons
Juhana Venäläinen
 

More from Juhana Venäläinen (17)

The potential and bottlenecks of bicycle commuting in Joensuu
The potential and bottlenecks of bicycle commuting in JoensuuThe potential and bottlenecks of bicycle commuting in Joensuu
The potential and bottlenecks of bicycle commuting in Joensuu
 
Sensory commons: scenting the air for a political economy of the sensory
Sensory commons: scenting the air for a political economy of the sensorySensory commons: scenting the air for a political economy of the sensory
Sensory commons: scenting the air for a political economy of the sensory
 
Kirjasto yhteiskäytön instituutiona
Kirjasto yhteiskäytön instituutionaKirjasto yhteiskäytön instituutiona
Kirjasto yhteiskäytön instituutiona
 
Kimppakyydit kaksinkertaisen ylijäämän taloutena
Kimppakyydit kaksinkertaisen ylijäämän taloutenaKimppakyydit kaksinkertaisen ylijäämän taloutena
Kimppakyydit kaksinkertaisen ylijäämän taloutena
 
Kimppakyydit, jakamisen talousmoraalit ja hankala raha
Kimppakyydit, jakamisen talousmoraalit ja hankala rahaKimppakyydit, jakamisen talousmoraalit ja hankala raha
Kimppakyydit, jakamisen talousmoraalit ja hankala raha
 
Sosiaalisen median kimppakyytiyhteisöt jakamistalouden rajapintoina
Sosiaalisen median kimppakyytiyhteisöt jakamistalouden rajapintoinaSosiaalisen median kimppakyytiyhteisöt jakamistalouden rajapintoina
Sosiaalisen median kimppakyytiyhteisöt jakamistalouden rajapintoina
 
"Where the Internet lives" – performing the material spaces of the "immateria...
"Where the Internet lives" – performing the material spaces of the "immateria..."Where the Internet lives" – performing the material spaces of the "immateria...
"Where the Internet lives" – performing the material spaces of the "immateria...
 
Digitalisaatio poliittisena ideana ja paikallisina käytänteinä
Digitalisaatio poliittisena ideana ja paikallisina käytänteinäDigitalisaatio poliittisena ideana ja paikallisina käytänteinä
Digitalisaatio poliittisena ideana ja paikallisina käytänteinä
 
Political ecologies of immaterial commoning: data storage, digital waste, and...
Political ecologies of immaterial commoning: data storage, digital waste, and...Political ecologies of immaterial commoning: data storage, digital waste, and...
Political ecologies of immaterial commoning: data storage, digital waste, and...
 
Digitaaliset aineistot ja menetelmät kulttuuritieteissä
Digitaaliset aineistot ja menetelmät kulttuuritieteissäDigitaaliset aineistot ja menetelmät kulttuuritieteissä
Digitaaliset aineistot ja menetelmät kulttuuritieteissä
 
Sustainability of soundscape tourism: a commons-based approach
Sustainability of soundscape tourism: a commons-based approachSustainability of soundscape tourism: a commons-based approach
Sustainability of soundscape tourism: a commons-based approach
 
Tilasto ja kokemus prekarisaatiokeskusteluissa
Tilasto ja kokemus prekarisaatiokeskusteluissaTilasto ja kokemus prekarisaatiokeskusteluissa
Tilasto ja kokemus prekarisaatiokeskusteluissa
 
New Commons 6/6: Capitalizing (on) the Common
New Commons 6/6: Capitalizing (on) the CommonNew Commons 6/6: Capitalizing (on) the Common
New Commons 6/6: Capitalizing (on) the Common
 
New Commons 5/6: Peer Production and the Networking Commons
New Commons 5/6: Peer Production and the Networking CommonsNew Commons 5/6: Peer Production and the Networking Commons
New Commons 5/6: Peer Production and the Networking Commons
 
New Commons 4/6: Authorship and the Cultural Commons
New Commons 4/6: Authorship and the Cultural CommonsNew Commons 4/6: Authorship and the Cultural Commons
New Commons 4/6: Authorship and the Cultural Commons
 
New Commons 1/6: Introduction to Commons Research
New Commons 1/6: Introduction to Commons ResearchNew Commons 1/6: Introduction to Commons Research
New Commons 1/6: Introduction to Commons Research
 
New Commons 3/6: Ownership and the Urban Commons
New Commons 3/6: Ownership and the Urban CommonsNew Commons 3/6: Ownership and the Urban Commons
New Commons 3/6: Ownership and the Urban Commons
 

Recently uploaded

Tom tresser burning issue.pptx My Burning issue
Tom tresser burning issue.pptx My Burning issueTom tresser burning issue.pptx My Burning issue
Tom tresser burning issue.pptx My Burning issue
amekonnen
 
Burning Issue Presentation By Kenmaryon.pdf
Burning Issue Presentation By Kenmaryon.pdfBurning Issue Presentation By Kenmaryon.pdf
Burning Issue Presentation By Kenmaryon.pdf
kkirkland2
 
Competition and Regulation in Professions and Occupations – OECD – June 2024 ...
Competition and Regulation in Professions and Occupations – OECD – June 2024 ...Competition and Regulation in Professions and Occupations – OECD – June 2024 ...
Competition and Regulation in Professions and Occupations – OECD – June 2024 ...
OECD Directorate for Financial and Enterprise Affairs
 
Suzanne Lagerweij - Influence Without Power - Why Empathy is Your Best Friend...
Suzanne Lagerweij - Influence Without Power - Why Empathy is Your Best Friend...Suzanne Lagerweij - Influence Without Power - Why Empathy is Your Best Friend...
Suzanne Lagerweij - Influence Without Power - Why Empathy is Your Best Friend...
Suzanne Lagerweij
 
2024-05-30_meetup_devops_aix-marseille.pdf
2024-05-30_meetup_devops_aix-marseille.pdf2024-05-30_meetup_devops_aix-marseille.pdf
2024-05-30_meetup_devops_aix-marseille.pdf
Frederic Leger
 
Carrer goals.pptx and their importance in real life
Carrer goals.pptx  and their importance in real lifeCarrer goals.pptx  and their importance in real life
Carrer goals.pptx and their importance in real life
artemacademy2
 
Competition and Regulation in Professions and Occupations – ROBSON – June 202...
Competition and Regulation in Professions and Occupations – ROBSON – June 202...Competition and Regulation in Professions and Occupations – ROBSON – June 202...
Competition and Regulation in Professions and Occupations – ROBSON – June 202...
OECD Directorate for Financial and Enterprise Affairs
 
XP 2024 presentation: A New Look to Leadership
XP 2024 presentation: A New Look to LeadershipXP 2024 presentation: A New Look to Leadership
XP 2024 presentation: A New Look to Leadership
samililja
 
Supercharge your AI - SSP Industry Breakout Session 2024-v2_1.pdf
Supercharge your AI - SSP Industry Breakout Session 2024-v2_1.pdfSupercharge your AI - SSP Industry Breakout Session 2024-v2_1.pdf
Supercharge your AI - SSP Industry Breakout Session 2024-v2_1.pdf
Access Innovations, Inc.
 
Mẫu PPT kế hoạch làm việc sáng tạo cho nửa cuối năm PowerPoint
Mẫu PPT kế hoạch làm việc sáng tạo cho nửa cuối năm PowerPointMẫu PPT kế hoạch làm việc sáng tạo cho nửa cuối năm PowerPoint
Mẫu PPT kế hoạch làm việc sáng tạo cho nửa cuối năm PowerPoint
1990 Media
 
Updated diagnosis. Cause and treatment of hypothyroidism
Updated diagnosis. Cause and treatment of hypothyroidismUpdated diagnosis. Cause and treatment of hypothyroidism
Updated diagnosis. Cause and treatment of hypothyroidism
Faculty of Medicine And Health Sciences
 
ASONAM2023_presection_slide_track-recommendation.pdf
ASONAM2023_presection_slide_track-recommendation.pdfASONAM2023_presection_slide_track-recommendation.pdf
ASONAM2023_presection_slide_track-recommendation.pdf
ToshihiroIto4
 
Media as a Mind Controlling Strategy In Old and Modern Era
Media as a Mind Controlling Strategy In Old and Modern EraMedia as a Mind Controlling Strategy In Old and Modern Era
Media as a Mind Controlling Strategy In Old and Modern Era
faizulhassanfaiz1670
 
Presentatie 8. Joost van der Linde & Daniel Anderton - Eliq 28 mei 2024
Presentatie 8. Joost van der Linde & Daniel Anderton - Eliq 28 mei 2024Presentatie 8. Joost van der Linde & Daniel Anderton - Eliq 28 mei 2024
Presentatie 8. Joost van der Linde & Daniel Anderton - Eliq 28 mei 2024
Dutch Power
 
Gregory Harris' Civics Presentation.pptx
Gregory Harris' Civics Presentation.pptxGregory Harris' Civics Presentation.pptx
Gregory Harris' Civics Presentation.pptx
gharris9
 
Collapsing Narratives: Exploring Non-Linearity • a micro report by Rosie Wells
Collapsing Narratives: Exploring Non-Linearity • a micro report by Rosie WellsCollapsing Narratives: Exploring Non-Linearity • a micro report by Rosie Wells
Collapsing Narratives: Exploring Non-Linearity • a micro report by Rosie Wells
Rosie Wells
 
Gregory Harris - Cycle 2 - Civics Presentation
Gregory Harris - Cycle 2 - Civics PresentationGregory Harris - Cycle 2 - Civics Presentation
Gregory Harris - Cycle 2 - Civics Presentation
gharris9
 
Presentatie 4. Jochen Cremer - TU Delft 28 mei 2024
Presentatie 4. Jochen Cremer - TU Delft 28 mei 2024Presentatie 4. Jochen Cremer - TU Delft 28 mei 2024
Presentatie 4. Jochen Cremer - TU Delft 28 mei 2024
Dutch Power
 
Mastering the Concepts Tested in the Databricks Certified Data Engineer Assoc...
Mastering the Concepts Tested in the Databricks Certified Data Engineer Assoc...Mastering the Concepts Tested in the Databricks Certified Data Engineer Assoc...
Mastering the Concepts Tested in the Databricks Certified Data Engineer Assoc...
SkillCertProExams
 

Recently uploaded (19)

Tom tresser burning issue.pptx My Burning issue
Tom tresser burning issue.pptx My Burning issueTom tresser burning issue.pptx My Burning issue
Tom tresser burning issue.pptx My Burning issue
 
Burning Issue Presentation By Kenmaryon.pdf
Burning Issue Presentation By Kenmaryon.pdfBurning Issue Presentation By Kenmaryon.pdf
Burning Issue Presentation By Kenmaryon.pdf
 
Competition and Regulation in Professions and Occupations – OECD – June 2024 ...
Competition and Regulation in Professions and Occupations – OECD – June 2024 ...Competition and Regulation in Professions and Occupations – OECD – June 2024 ...
Competition and Regulation in Professions and Occupations – OECD – June 2024 ...
 
Suzanne Lagerweij - Influence Without Power - Why Empathy is Your Best Friend...
Suzanne Lagerweij - Influence Without Power - Why Empathy is Your Best Friend...Suzanne Lagerweij - Influence Without Power - Why Empathy is Your Best Friend...
Suzanne Lagerweij - Influence Without Power - Why Empathy is Your Best Friend...
 
2024-05-30_meetup_devops_aix-marseille.pdf
2024-05-30_meetup_devops_aix-marseille.pdf2024-05-30_meetup_devops_aix-marseille.pdf
2024-05-30_meetup_devops_aix-marseille.pdf
 
Carrer goals.pptx and their importance in real life
Carrer goals.pptx  and their importance in real lifeCarrer goals.pptx  and their importance in real life
Carrer goals.pptx and their importance in real life
 
Competition and Regulation in Professions and Occupations – ROBSON – June 202...
Competition and Regulation in Professions and Occupations – ROBSON – June 202...Competition and Regulation in Professions and Occupations – ROBSON – June 202...
Competition and Regulation in Professions and Occupations – ROBSON – June 202...
 
XP 2024 presentation: A New Look to Leadership
XP 2024 presentation: A New Look to LeadershipXP 2024 presentation: A New Look to Leadership
XP 2024 presentation: A New Look to Leadership
 
Supercharge your AI - SSP Industry Breakout Session 2024-v2_1.pdf
Supercharge your AI - SSP Industry Breakout Session 2024-v2_1.pdfSupercharge your AI - SSP Industry Breakout Session 2024-v2_1.pdf
Supercharge your AI - SSP Industry Breakout Session 2024-v2_1.pdf
 
Mẫu PPT kế hoạch làm việc sáng tạo cho nửa cuối năm PowerPoint
Mẫu PPT kế hoạch làm việc sáng tạo cho nửa cuối năm PowerPointMẫu PPT kế hoạch làm việc sáng tạo cho nửa cuối năm PowerPoint
Mẫu PPT kế hoạch làm việc sáng tạo cho nửa cuối năm PowerPoint
 
Updated diagnosis. Cause and treatment of hypothyroidism
Updated diagnosis. Cause and treatment of hypothyroidismUpdated diagnosis. Cause and treatment of hypothyroidism
Updated diagnosis. Cause and treatment of hypothyroidism
 
ASONAM2023_presection_slide_track-recommendation.pdf
ASONAM2023_presection_slide_track-recommendation.pdfASONAM2023_presection_slide_track-recommendation.pdf
ASONAM2023_presection_slide_track-recommendation.pdf
 
Media as a Mind Controlling Strategy In Old and Modern Era
Media as a Mind Controlling Strategy In Old and Modern EraMedia as a Mind Controlling Strategy In Old and Modern Era
Media as a Mind Controlling Strategy In Old and Modern Era
 
Presentatie 8. Joost van der Linde & Daniel Anderton - Eliq 28 mei 2024
Presentatie 8. Joost van der Linde & Daniel Anderton - Eliq 28 mei 2024Presentatie 8. Joost van der Linde & Daniel Anderton - Eliq 28 mei 2024
Presentatie 8. Joost van der Linde & Daniel Anderton - Eliq 28 mei 2024
 
Gregory Harris' Civics Presentation.pptx
Gregory Harris' Civics Presentation.pptxGregory Harris' Civics Presentation.pptx
Gregory Harris' Civics Presentation.pptx
 
Collapsing Narratives: Exploring Non-Linearity • a micro report by Rosie Wells
Collapsing Narratives: Exploring Non-Linearity • a micro report by Rosie WellsCollapsing Narratives: Exploring Non-Linearity • a micro report by Rosie Wells
Collapsing Narratives: Exploring Non-Linearity • a micro report by Rosie Wells
 
Gregory Harris - Cycle 2 - Civics Presentation
Gregory Harris - Cycle 2 - Civics PresentationGregory Harris - Cycle 2 - Civics Presentation
Gregory Harris - Cycle 2 - Civics Presentation
 
Presentatie 4. Jochen Cremer - TU Delft 28 mei 2024
Presentatie 4. Jochen Cremer - TU Delft 28 mei 2024Presentatie 4. Jochen Cremer - TU Delft 28 mei 2024
Presentatie 4. Jochen Cremer - TU Delft 28 mei 2024
 
Mastering the Concepts Tested in the Databricks Certified Data Engineer Assoc...
Mastering the Concepts Tested in the Databricks Certified Data Engineer Assoc...Mastering the Concepts Tested in the Databricks Certified Data Engineer Assoc...
Mastering the Concepts Tested in the Databricks Certified Data Engineer Assoc...
 

Between exchange and gift-giving? Economic moralities of self-organised long-distance ridesharing

  • 1. Juhana Venäläinen PhD, postdoctoral researcher University of Eastern Finland juhana.venalainen@uef.fi Between exchange and gift-giving? Economic moralities of self-organisedlong-distanceridesharing 13th European Sociological Association Conference / RN05_RN09_07b_P_JS: JOINT SESSION: Re-thinking Market Capitalism: The Rise of Alternative Forms of Economic Exchange I / Athens, Greece / 31 August 2017
  • 2. — Part of a Kone Foundation funded project "Rights, excludability, and the social production of value in the models of the new economy” — Sub-study: Ridesharing as an interface to the ”sharing economy” — Research topics: — Social dynamics of the ridesharing groups and the role of technological platforms in shaping them — Motivations of the providers and users, and the understandings of the "economic" characteristics of ridesharing — The potential tensions with traditional public transport services and the more business-oriented understandings of the sharing economy
  • 3. — 1. Contextualizing self-organised long-distance ridesharing in Finland — 2. Economic moralities of ridesharing, and the problem of a just price — 3. Concluding remarks: Political undertones of ridesharing
  • 4. — In 2010s, long-distance (i.e. city-to-city) ridesharing in Finland has been mostly organized through Facebook groups established and moderated by individual persons — Over250 000 members in ca. 160 groups (c.f. population of 5m in Finland) — Groups typically named eitherby destination, origin, area, orcertain route
  • 5. ”Journey starts from Joensuu around six in the morning. The route goes through Lappeenranta. There is space for two passengers in the car.”
  • 6. — A systemof co-operationand peer production between strangers — Provides meansof subsistencewith less dependenceon money — Upscales and de-personifies traditional practicesof mutualaid — Contributes toa kind of ”transportcommons” / mobility “commoning” (see De Angelis 2017) — The self-organized model contrastswith the commercial mobile- app based sharing platforms (such as BlaBlaCar) popular in many Europeancountries
  • 7. What kind of economic moralities characterise ridesharing as an institution of sharing?
  • 8. David Graeber (2014): ”On the Moral Grounds of Economic Relations. A Maussian Approach.” "I wish to propose three fundamentally different moral logics lying behind phenomena that we class together as ’the gift’. These exist everywhere in different forms and articulations, so that in any given situation there are several kinds of moral reasoning actors could apply. "
  • 9. no reciprocity unilateral generosity inequality HIERARCHY COMMUNISM altruistic mutuality permanent ”indebtness” economy as conviviality EXCHANGE calculative mutuality temporary transactions independence David Graeber (2014): ”On the Moral Grounds of Economic Relations. A Maussian Approach.”
  • 10. — Research material: Three conversations (related to polls) about the acceptable price of a ride from the Finland’s biggest ridesharing group in 2014–2015 — 387 posts — Arguments identified and classified in two iterations (#1: 12 categories, #2: 4 categories)
  • 11. CO-PRODUCTION (DOING TOGETHER), COMMUNALITY, SOCIABILITY, ECOLOGICAL VALUES, GOOD SPIRIT, CHATTING, TRAVEL COMPANION, SHARING THE LABOUR OF DRIVING — ”It feels like the nitpickers in this group have lost this certain principle of communality […] like that you do something together, and then at the same time, both will get something for themselves, like a good mood, a little bit of money for gasoline, or nice companion. […] You don't have to take ridesharers, if the motive is to make them pay for the expenses of your car.”
  • 12. NOMINAL FEE, "SOMETHING FOR ONE'S PAINS", "PAY WHAT YOU WANT", POSSIBILITY TO PAY OR NOT TO PAY, NO PROFIT MOTIVE, NO BUSINESS, NO EARNING, NO BILLING OF ACTUAL EXPENSES, ONE MAY ASK FOR MONEY BUT NOT DEMAND IT — ”I have always written in my own posts that a ridesharer may decide to pay or not to pay a sum of his/her choice. Every time someone has paid something, but my principle is that if someone needs a ride but doesn't have money, they can still join in.”
  • 13. FIXED PRICE PER KILOMETER, PRICE BASED ON AVG. CONSUMPTION OF FUEL, PRICE BASED ON MILEAGE ALLOWANCE RELIEF, FIXED PRICE FOR A ROUTE, A "REASONABLE" OR "RIGHT" PRICE — "There is a law mandating that one can only share the fuel expenses. I myself divided the average consumption [of fuel] between passengers based on how many kilometers they travelled. […]"
  • 14. QUESTION OF FAIR PRICE AS ”EVERYONE’S OWN BUSINESS” OR ”SOMETHING NOT TO BE DISCUSSED ABOUT”, NEGOTIATION OF THE PRICE AS A MUTUAL CONTRACT, PRICE AS A NATURAL OUTCOME OF SUPPLY AND DEMAND — ”I think it gets too complicated if you start to think about the price in too much detail. Things get messy if soon no one knows how much to ask or how much to pay for a ride. Just settle it with mutually with the driver, vice versa, and that’s it.”
  • 15. COMMUNISM altruistic mutuality permanent ”indebtness” economy as conviviality EXCHANGE calculative mutuality temporary transactions independence
  • 16. COMMUNISM altruistic mutuality permanent ”indebtness” economy as conviviality EXCHANGE calculative mutuality temporary transactions independence 1. Producing common good 2. Minimal money- mediatedness 4. Individualized quasi-market 3. Calculative fairness social production of extra-economic value as a goal in itself money as a nominal ”token” that expresses trustand prevents free-riding pricing based on allegedly objective criteria pricing as a private affair between the ridetaker and the ridegiver
  • 17. — Discussionabout money and the just price of a ride brings about the political undertone of ridesharing — Ridesharingis influencedby various (and partly conflicting) forms of economicreasoning — The ”communist” moral logics in ridesharingemphasize ”extra- economic” prioritiesandmotivationssuch as subsistence, care, mutual aid, distribution of surplus, and conviviality — In this sense, ridesharingis notonly about tacklingthe obvious inefficiency of the transportsystembased on private cars, but about a practical experimentationof trying to rethink,reframe andre- experience”the economy”
  • 19. — De Angelis, Massimo (2017) Omnia sunt communia. London: Zed Books. — Finnish Transport Agency (2012) National Transport Survey 2010–2011. Helsinki: Finnish Transport Agency. http://www2.liikennevirasto.fi/julkaisut/pdf3/lr_2012_henkiloliikennetutkimus_we b.pdf — Graeber, David (2014) On the moral grounds of economic relations: A Maussian approach. Journal f Classical Sociology 14 (1), 65–77. — Light, Ann & Miskelly, Clodagh (2015) Sharing Economy vs Sharing Cultures? Designing for social, economic and environmental good. InteractionDesignand Architectures 24, 49–62. — Cover photo: Ant_S95: M30 Traffic light trails (Flickr.com, cc by-nc)