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 peculiar exchange model the sharing economy embodies? This article presents a theoretical review and conceptual framework for answering to this question (for understanding the relations between trust, reciprocity and belonging in peer-to-peer markets), and a comparative analysis of the main sharing platforms in the accommodation domain. We argue that to mobilize a sense of community is not only instrumental to promise a more intense consumption experience; it is crucial for 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 declining social depth in sharing practices are discussed.