Les temporalités sociales des cuisiniers de la restauration

Abstract

The article discusses cooks’ social temporalities, organized according to two main patterns: “breaks” and continuity. The synchronization of meals - lunch and dinner- with work concentrated around the middle and the end of the day, splits occupational activities in two. However, reduced working time, the pressures of economic and hygienic constraints, and streamlining the catering business have encouraged professionals to reconsider their organization, which has reinforced continuity. The article also examines the factors that favor adapting one of the models of social temporalities and raises the question of employees’ temporal availability in function of their schedules. It further studies the arrangements made by negotiating three major issues (breaks, rest, non-standard working hours), whose results depend on cooks’ backgrounds, working contexts and professional values.

Keywords

• non-standard working hours
• scheduling
• breaks
• continuity
• temporal regulation
• temporal arrangements