The thesis highlights digital cultural workers' own practices and stories about how they both identify with their work and struggle with its challenges. Daniel Karlsson has been hanging out on platforms for jobfinding and marketing in the cultural sphere and has also interviewed freelancers. External reviewer Professor Dan Kärreman, Copenhagen Business School, started out by presenting the thesis before the questioning began. His first question was why Daniel Karlsson first took an interest in digital freelancers.
– It started with my master and an interest in the gig economy and wanting to challenge perceptions of the Swedish welfare state. Something has changed in how we think about work.
He also stated that it is a difficult and extremely competitive environment with low demand for paying for this kind of labour. The nature of the work leads to tensions, such as community vs competition and self-realisation vs self-exploitation.
The examination board approved the thesis and member Alison Gerber announced the decision with the words:
– After an intense and emotional discussion I have the honour of congratulating Doctor Karlsson on passing his defence today.
About the thesis
Daniel Karlsson's thesis is called "At least I have this freedom: Subjectivity and self-precarization among digital freelancers in the Swedish cultural industries". His supervisors were David Wästerfors and Bo Isenberg.
The thesis in Lund University’s Research Portal (opens in a new window)