Situated at the intersection of the sociology of work, social class, law and justice, gender, and health, this thesis is based on interviews with caretakers of upscale private buildings in the western and central districts of Paris – an ideal observatory of class differences – as well as on observations of union consultations at the (CGT). Its main ambition is to explore the question of power relations (wage subordination, social domination and economic exploitation) in all their complexity. From a professional and institutional perspective, by closely examining the forms and effects of the hierarchical and wage-based relationship, along with all their ambivalences (given the triangular nature of this occupational configuration) ; From the social perspective, where interpersonal relations may be a source of gratification but also of hardship – and where this low-status job may also generate various kinds of profits, including economic gains.
