How do Digital Platforms Organize Immaturity: Towards an Integrative Framework for Platform Power

Abstract

The power of digital platforms is increasingly raising concern in civil society and in policy circles. A recent surge of research has separately documented various forms of platform power and power abuse. However, there are surprisingly scant attempts in providing a holistic perspective on platform power. We address this issue by developing a socio-symbolic perspective on platforms’ power dynamics, and by asking the guiding question of how platforms organize immaturity. Drawing on Bourdieu’s concepts of field, capitals, and habitus, we explain how socio-symbolic structures shape power relations and transform the field in which platforms operate. We characterize the digital habitus and identify three stages in field transformation, each explained by the predominance of specific forms of power. Our analysis derives that while a subset of these forms of power increase organized immaturity, another subset can also empower the field’s actors. Thus, we make two main contributions: (1) We develop a novel socio-symbolic view of platforms’ power dynamics and an integrative framework conceptualizing the multifaceted dimension of platform power. (2) We exploit and enrich the concept of organized immaturity.