China’s digital working class and circuits of labor

Abstract

This article proposes that the emergence of a digital working class is among the most important digital formations in contemporary China. From the information have-less to network labor, the class formation process is not only massive in scale but of special historical significance that constitutes a fourth phase in the making of the Chinese working class. There is urgent need to theorize the digital working class based on a wide range of theoretical resources. Toward this goal, the circuits of labor model is discussed as an inclusive framework to link up various analytical concepts and provide a more holistic picture about both the contextual forces shaping the digital working class and internal dynamics within. The conceptual model sheds light on empirical cases such as Apple Inc., Tian Yu, and Fan Yusu, showing that while the circuits of labor model still needs more development, it is likely to pave the way for a new praxis of class-conscious digital formation. The limitations, scope of application, and future prospects of the circuits of labor model are also discussed.