Une communauté indienne face au travail : les nisads du Gange

This article explores a working community in the northern India, specifically fishermen, boatmen and boatbuilders of the middle course of the river Ganges. It seeks to show that, on the one hand, conceptions of work and, on the other hand, the realities of different tasks, constitute a complex nexus, marked by nuances and change. Community factors (work in general but also caste and religion) strongly influence perceptions of the working world. While the universe of the Ganges fishermen is strongly marked by poverty and a heavy burden of toil, it is also noteworthy for its aesthetic, playful and rebellious elements. And finally, the conceptions and realities of work are highly gendered, leading to the existence of two paradigms of the task.