The digital economy in Costa Rica: working conditions, the value of labor, and the worker subject in call centers

Abstract

This article presents the results of research focused on changes stemming from the use of digital platforms and the rapid growth of call centers in the context of 21st-century production outsourcing. Working conditions were examined through 17 questionnaires and 12 life story interviews of working people, in order to explore the construction of collective identity and the value of work in these service centers. Key questions were raised regarding liberation versus control in call center work and how workers perceive their relationship with their job. Upon conclusion, the study addresses the presence of
a working subject, connecting this work with fundamental forms for the development of global capitalism, even when not directly linked to material means of production, aligning with concerns raised by Osnaide Izquierdo (2020, 2021).