从“监控资本”到“关联资本”?中国数字平台的媒介化与组织化

From Surveillance Capitalism to Association Capitalism?Towards the Mediatization and Organization of Platforms in China

本文尝试在“监控资本主义”之外,提供一种分析和阐释数字平台的另类思路,即“关联资本主义”。关联资本主义从组织与传播的视角出发,将平台的组织与扩张看作一种媒介化的过程,并试图阐释在此过程中,平台如何通过劝服、合作、规制等措施连接各种社会资源、组织和参与者,并最终形成自己“守门人”的市场垄断地位。在外卖平台的语境下,关联资本主义的建立包括三个层面:惯习化、组织化和具身化。每一次的“关联”,都有诸多的人、物、关系作为媒介,承担起联络、对接、管理、聚合等功能。作为一个敏感型概念,“关联资本主义”对于我们反思数字平台、技术劳动与组织管理之间的关系具有理论贡献。

The current article aims to provide an alternative way of analyzing the formation and configuration of platform capitalism in and beyond China in addition to"surveillance capitalism".It is called as association capitalism.From the perspective of organization and communication,association capitalism regards platformization as a process of mediatization,in which it connects,Organizes,and mobilizes various social resources,and ultimately forms its own"gatekeeper"position in the Chinese market.Taking food delivery industry as a case,it is argued that association capitalism consists of three dimensions:habituation,organization,and embodiment.The"association capitalism"indicates how platforms undertake functions such as contacting,docking,managing,and aggregating.As a sensitive concept,it shed lights on our reflection on the relationship between platform capital,technological labor,and organizational management.