Spaces, social networks, and coping strategies: spatial divergence of welfare attitudes among food delivery riders in China

This study investigates the mechanisms underlying the spatial differentiation in welfare attitudes among food delivery riders within China’s platform economy, characterized by algorithmic control and the individualization of risk, through a comparative case study between a developed metropolis and an underdeveloped small county. The research reveals that riders’ welfare attitudes are not merely individual choices but are shaped by adaptations and trade-offs within specific spatial contexts. These attitudes are influenced by the risk perception, the institutional divergence, the varying proximity of social support networks, and the different coping strategies in different spatial contexts. This research highlights the critical role of space as an active constructor of welfare attitude through the spatial mediation of platform logics and deepens the understanding of the interactive relationship between emerging labour groups and welfare systems across different spatial settings.