Stella Pennell

Citation

Thesis Title
Trouble in paradise: Contradictions in platform capitalism and the production of surplus by Airbnb hosts in regional tourist towns

The digital homestay accommodation platform, Airbnb, quickly became the world’s largest accommodation provider. Yet there is little research into the effects of this on the lived experiences of those who host their homes with Airbnb. Airbnb’s growth is particularly noticeable in small regional tourist towns. Mrs Pennell investigated the impact of Airbnb through contradictions between the capitalist imperatives of the platform, the demands of tourism, and hosts’ daily practices of social life at personal, family, and community levels. Using lenses of commodification of the home and self, biopolitics, and the intensification of time and space, Mrs Pennell demonstrated the operation of surplus across the field. The model of surplus - both as an analytical tool and a methodological imperative – was used to understand the ways in which surplus-meanings between notions of ‘home’ and of ‘business’ and the use of surplus enjoyment ensure Airbnb hosts remained committed to the platform.

Supervisors
Dr Warwick Tie
Dr Trudie Cain