The sharing economy as community marketplace? Trust, reciprocity and belonging in peer-to-peer accommodation platforms

What is the role sociality and belonging play within the particular exchange model that the sharing economy embodies? This article presents a theoretical review and a comparative analysis of the main sharing platforms in the accommodation domain in order to outline a conceptual framework on the relations between trust, reciprocity and belonging in the sharing economy. We argue that mobilising a sense of community is not only instrumental to promising a more intense consumption experience; it is crucial to eliciting users’ active participation in the self-regulation of peer-to-peer exchanges and for dealing with relevant trust issues, especially when sharing implies co-presence and/or non-monetary compensation. The drivers and potential outcomes of the decline in social depth of sharing practices are discussed.

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