On 22 June, Thomas Langlois successfully defended his thesis «Manufacturing the Night. Working in bars and clubs in Tunis». This research highlights the the growing role of digital platforms in the restructuring of the employment relationships within nightlife venues. The jury highlighted the scale of the work carried out, the thoroughness of the research and the significant potential for applying its findings.
Manufacturing the Night. Working in bars and clubs in Tunis.
This thesis examines nightlife venues in Tunisia in the age of platform capitalism. These bars, restaurants and nightclubs are often seen as places for leisure, socialising or transgression. But they are also workplaces. How is labour mobilised to keep these commercial establishments running? The literature has described the hospitality sector as affording a high degree of autonomy to front-line staff, offset by the demands of the service relationship: the clientele dictates the pace of work, as well as the recognition and remuneration of labour, particularly through the tipping system. How, then, should we understand the drive for control being pursued by management consultancies, which have been emerging in Tunisia since the 2011 revolution? Is the ‘managerial revolution’ heralded by these firms merely a publicity stunt designed to rubber-stamp the status quo in new marketing language? Is this a means of transforming the image of these jobs, against a backdrop of young people’s dissatisfaction with work – characterised by a sense of social decline and entrapment – whilst the pressures on businesses often prevent them from guaranteeing stable employment?
By revisiting approaches drawn from the theory of the labour process and discussing recent research on the worlds of work in Tunisia, this thesis demonstrates that the development of private digital platforms is transforming the dynamics of the nightlife market, which previously allowed these establishments to limit themselves to simply serving drinks and to reduce labour costs to mere distribution expenses. Labour is now recognised as a means by which establishments can set themselves apart in a competitive environment, in terms of «service» and ’atmosphere« (jaw). At the same time, these platforms make it conceivable to restructure control mechanisms—long considered futile or unprofitable in this sector—notably through the intermediation of relations between waiters and waitresses and their customers, the digital expansion of the recruitment pool, the planning of how to harness workers» subjectivities, the formalisation of employment relationships, and the thoughtful tolerance of staff outbursts. This productive restructuring marks the introduction of platforms as a new actor in the relations of production within the nightlife economy. Based on a long-term study, the thesis draws on ethnographic material comprising observational accounts, interviews, a review of the legislation governing these establishments, and an analysis of their digital publications.
A jury that was unanimously convinced
For over four hours, before a large and attentive audience, a considerable amount of work was carried out with rigour and conviction. The jury, unanimously impressed, praised the way in which the empirical and theoretical work had been pursued in parallel and brought to a successful conclusion – a rare feat that testifies to a genuine scientific commitment. Special mention must also be made of the jury chair, who was truly exceptional, skilfully setting a remarkable pace and creating a dynamic atmosphere for the discussions, keeping the audience engaged despite the oppressive heat on 22 June. This skill in steering the debates played a major part in making this defence an exceptional occasion.
The jury also referred on several occasions to the potential of this work, expressing the hope that a book and an article would be published on the subject of tips – a decidedly rich topic that deserves to be brought to the attention of a wider audience.
Composition of the judging panel
- Mr Amin ALLAL, Research Fellow, CERAPS, University of Lille — Examiner
- Mr José CALDERON GIL, University Professor, CLERSE, University of Lille — Examiner
- Ms Myriam CATUSSE, Research Director, Institute for Research on the Contemporary Maghreb (IRMC) – AMU — Joint Supervisor
- Mr Imed MELLITI, University Professor, Higher Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Tunis El Manar — Examiner
- Ms Delphine MERCIER, Research Director, LEST AMU-CNRS — PhD supervisor
- Ms Maud SIMONET, Director of Research, IDHE.S, University of Paris-Nanterre — Rapporteur
- Mr Guillaume TIFFON, University Professor, University of Évry-Val-d’Essonne — Rapporteur
