Leaving the Minus Area Behind

Summary

The conclusion starts with a description of me leaving the field as this made the status differences between the cleaners and me come to the fore. Following this, it explicates cleaners’ dramas of dignity by bringing together the findings of the previous chapters. It discusses the extent to which the book’s insights can be transferred to invisible service work, more generally. Placing these insights into their historical context, I discuss whether we are currently witnessing a return of the servant society. The book ends with a reflection on the encounter of two images – The Statue of Liberty and Harold Lloyd – in Potsdamer Platz’s underworld.