Abstract

GARAZI, Débora. Maîtres, waiters, commises and sommeliers: work in the dining room of high class hotels (Mar del Plata, 1950-1990). Travesía (San Miguel de Tucumán) [online]. 2020, vol.22, n.1, pp.57-77. ISSN 2314-2707.

This article explores the representations of the work and experiences of men who worked in the dining rooms of high-class hotels in the city of Mar del Plata, in the second half of the 20th century. We start from the idea that the work carried out by the maîtres, waiters, comises and sommeliers in these hotels had strong links and continuities with the work carried out historically by the domestic service of elite houses, which gave it certain peculiarities. Based on interviews with employees who worked during the analyzed period, Collective Labour Agreements, hospitality manuals, classified ads and private documentation belonging to some hotels in the city, we analyzed the organization and hierarchies of work, as well as the rights and obligations of those who worked in it. We also focus on the skills and qualities required of the staff, the ways in which they acquired them and how this affected the construction of a specific male worker model.

Keywords : Waiters; Work; Personal services; Masculinity.

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