Inclusion through the cleaning sector: an analysis through the lens of paradoxes[L'inclusion par les métiers du nettoyage : une analyse à travers le prisme des paradoxes]

This article is based on qualitative research conducted within an inclusive organisation in the industrial cleaning sector. It offers an analysis of the tensions and paradoxes underlying an inclusion project within the cleaning trades, focusing on the perspectives of work and professional identities. The cleaning sector is traditionally regarded as particularly conducive to inclusion. The research, based on observations (including a two-week work placement undertaken by one of the authors as a cleaner), semi-structured interviews and an analysis of internal documentation, highlights six paradoxes that underpin the inclusion initiative in the sector under study. It highlights the intertwining nature of these paradoxes and the complexity involved in making the role of a cleaner a reliable pathway to inclusion. The article offers a discussion and suggests ways forward for managing the multi-level tensions identified.