In the crossing of the urban sociology, the sociology of the family and the architectural analysis, this thesis deals with the changes brought by residents to their domestic space in Tozeur (Jerid, Tunisia), during the second half of the twentieth century. Based on about fifty sets of house's monographs, combining architectural statements and interviews, the analysis (lead according to the clue method) focuses on the evolution of the dwelling and its relationship with the household. The elaborate interpretation of traces and clues, detectable through detailed observation of the built environment, reveals the successive steps of the home occupation. The changing meaning of various terms identified (ḥûš, dâr...) and their use, inform about the definition of areas of the house. If they are concurrent with the advent of new spaces, technological changes are evidence of an evolution of the concept of comfort, the emergence of new actors and transfers of know-how. The negotiations, identified during the settlements and the renovations shed light on the influence of statutory procedures and the differentiated strategies of bypassing. The preferential use of building materials, aesthetic treatments and new architectural styles indicates a search for social positioning and legitimacy. The investigation informs that adjusting the house and ordering the family are two simultaneous actions, while each appeal for different speeches and representations. The house is a manifestation of individuals living in family. A review of its dynamic transformation provides an analysis of the society.
