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Precarity and Platformed Care: R/Dubai as a Digital Third Space for Expatriate Support-Seeking
Aruparayil, Sharon
Aruparayil, Sharon
Description
A Master of Arts in International Studies by Sharon Aruparayil entitled, “Precarity and Platformed Care: R/Dubai as a Digital Third Space for Expatriate Support-Seeking”, submitted in July 2025. Thesis advisor is Dr. Bethany Shockley. Soft copy is available (Thesis, Completion Certificate, Approval Signatures, and AUS Archives Consent Form). Embargo expires November 20, 2026.
Abstract
This ethnographic study examines r/Dubai, a semi-anonymous Reddit community, as a digital infrastructure of informal support and care for migrants during the 2023 UAE layoffs. Drawing on theories of platform affordances, third spaces, and affect, the research explores how migrants navigate precarity through weak-tie intimacy enabled by Reddit’s asynchronous, pseudonymous design. Analysis of 150 highengagement threads reveals patterns of emotional recurrence, pragmatic and affective responses, and the reproduction of offline inequalities within this digital public. The findings highlight how linguistic fluency, platform literacy, and subreddit moderation shape access to visibility and care, while also exposing tensions between solidarity and exclusion. The study underscores the fragility of digital migrant publics as spaces of provisional pastoral care in contexts marked by conditional citizenship and labor precarity. Limitations include the focus on English-speaking users and publicly visible content, underscoring that this work offers a snapshot of platformed care rather than a representative account of all migrant experiences in Dubai. These insights contribute to understanding the socio-technical dynamics of migrant digital communities and the role of platform design in mediating survival and support.