Project title: Solidarity practices in conditions of insecurity: platformization and digital
work (Prakse solidarnosti u uvjetima nesigurnosti: platformizacija i digitalni rad),
Acronym: DigSolidar (FPZG-IP-07)

Thematical area of the project: Communication science, Croatian politics, Political
sociology, Sociology
Duration of the project: 48 months (start date: 10/2025 – end date: 09/2029)
Total cost: 72.000,00 EUR (100 % EU contribution NextGenerationEU)

Principle investigator (PI): Associate professor Dina Vozab

Research team members:
Assistant professor Vedrana Baričević (FPZG)
Associate professor Antonija Čuvalo (FPZG)
Full professor Zlatan Krajina (FPZG)
Karlo Kralj, PhD (FPZG)
Matej Mikašinović-Komšo, PhD candidate (FPZG)
Full professor Zrinjka Peruško (FPZG)
Filip Trbojević, PhD candidate (FPZG)
Associate professor Davorka Vidović (FPZG)
Paško Bilić, PhD (associated external expert, Institute for Development and
International relations)
Emina Bužinkić, PhD (associated external expert, Institute for Development and
International relations)
Ivana Rašić, PhD (associated external expert, The Institute of Economics Zagreb)
Paula Čatipović (PhD student political science, FPZG)
Tonka Vuković (PhD student political science, FPZG)

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
Digital platforms contribute to the creation of precariousness and insecurity, as well as
fragmentation in the field of work, which is particularly emphasized in sectors that are strongly
shaped by the digital environment or communication technologies: platform work (gig work) and
(freelance) media work. The main objective of the project is to investigate how precarious digital
workers experience the impact of communication technologies, how they perceive solidarity and
solidarity practices, and whether there is a possibility of overcoming their mutual isolation and
fragmentation through the creation of solidarity practices. In doing so, the main focus of the
research is on the practices of digital workers directed towards platforms or digital work. The
methodological approach is based on action research, which combines the research of a social
problem and practical action with the aim of improving them.
The innovativeness of the research is reflected in the dual focus of communication sciences and
political science (especially political sociology). The research also focuses on a phenomenon that
is less present in the literature. The literature dealing with precarious work in the digital
environment mostly deals with the macro and meso levels (the broader structure of the political
economy), and less with the micro level (Salamon, 2023). One of the research contributions of
this project is that it will deal with the micro level, and from that level understand “visions of
alternative futures” (Salamon, 2023: 187) from the perspective of digital workers. Since the
research deals with two different sectors, the research could enable broader generalizations about
the development of solidarity practices in the processes of digital platformization and
datafication (Van Dijck, 2014; Van Dijck et al., 2018). The research will contribute to the
investigation of the relationship between communication processes and democracy through the
analysis of the development of new democratic practices in a platform, datafied society.
Contact: Associate professor Dina Vozab (dina.vozab@fpzg.hr)