From Disembedding to Digital Re-Embedding: Social Media Empowerment and Solidarity Practices of Chinese Truck Drivers

Abstract

In China, truck drivers in the logistics industry have used social media to form various networked organizations for mutual assistance and protection of rights and interests. This study examines the organizational practices of Chinese truck drivers on social media (i.e., WeChat and Douyin). Using online communities, Chinese truck drivers have constructed a new type of solidarity that includes virtual and practical dimensions. Social media empowerment has expanded the social capital of truck drivers, promoting social integration and resource redistribution. This online self-organization provides a reference for collaborative governance among self-employed workers who want to promote professional solidarity. However, our findings also indicate that combating the exploitation of digital labor on capital platforms is fundamentally difficult for organized labor groups.