Meta-analysis on labor self-exploitation: trends and patterns in contemporary precarious work: Meta-analysis on labor self-exploitation: trends and patterns in contemporary precarious work

• Navarro Claro , Genny Torcoroma ^[1] ; Bayona Soto, Jose Andrés ^[1]
  1. [1] Universidad Francisco de Paula Santander

     Universidad Francisco de Paula Santander

     Colombia

     
• Localización: Revista Scienza, ISSN-e 3028-3469, Vol. 3, Nº. 3, 2024 (Ejemplar dedicado a: Convergencia)
• Idioma: español
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• Resumen

  • This study presents a meta-analysis on labor self-exploitation, based on twenty empirical studies systematically reviewed between 2010 and 2024. The objective was to identify common patterns, measurable effects, and methodological gaps in the literature on precarious work in contemporary contexts. The analyzed studies were conducted in sectors such as digital platforms, informal labor, higher education, and the creative economy, mainly involving freelancers, caregivers, migrants, and self-employed workers. The analysis combined qualitative and quantitative methods. Ten studies provided comparable statistical data, allowing for the estimation of effect sizes (d = 0.30–0.75) and the identification of moderate heterogeneity (I² = 58.3%). Additionally, recurrent configurations of self-exploitation were observed, associated with symbolic pressure, forced flexibility, and simulated autonomy. A thematic classification was also developed based on the qualitative studies, highlighting macrosocial, subjective, and intersectional factors. The findings suggest that self-exploitation is an internalized form of labor precariousness that operates as a structural mechanism in 21st-century work. The study proposes guidelines for future transdisciplinary research, including the development of comparable scales and interpretative frameworks sensitive to the symbolic, affective, and structural dimensions of labor.