Digital cooperative platforms for inclusion and a just digital transition in rural areas
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.66231/RedCiencia360.v1i1.5Keywords:
Digital literacy, Digital transformation, Platform cooperativism, Platform economy, Rural inclusionAbstract
This article offers a narrative literature review that frames digitalization as a sociotechnical process shaping work organization, access to services, and participation opportunities in rural territories. The objective is to examine the potential of digital platform cooperatives in rural Latin America and to identify the barriers and enabling conditions for their implementation as an alternative to the dominant platform model. Methodologically, the study applies document analysis and thematic synthesis of academic contributions and reported experiences, structured around: (i) concentration and exclusion risks within mainstream platforms; (ii) principles and promises of platform cooperativism; and (iii) practical requirements for adoption in rural contexts. Findings point to a “double exclusion” in rural areas—functional and cultural—linked to limited infrastructure, insufficient digital literacy, and poorly situated design, whereas platform cooperatives can support democratic governance, collective ownership, and fair value distribution, yet face technical, economic, organizational, and regulatory constraints. The conclusions emphasize that a just digital transition depends on connectivity, place-based training, enabling legal frameworks, tailored financing, local pilots, and participatory evaluation
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