The danwei, or work unit, occupies a central place in Chinese society; at one time it was so entrenched in people's daily life that while one could be without a job, one could not be without a danwei. With outstanding contributors from various disciplines, this volume, a systematic study of the danwei system, addresses three sets of questions from historical and comparative perspectives:
-- What are the origins of the danwei and how did the danwei system become institutionalized?
-- Is it unique to China?
-- What role does the danwei play and has it changed since the launching of the post-Mao reforms?

In addressing these questions. the contributors make a contribution to both Chinese studies and comparative studies of industrial organization and the transition from state socialism.

Xiaobo Lü, Elizabeth J. Perry

Introduction The Changing Chinese Workplace in Historical and Comparative Perspective, Xiaobo Lü, Elizabeth J. Perry; Part 1 Danwei in Historical Perspective; Chapter 1 Minor Public Economy: The Revolutionary Origins of the Danwei, Xiaobo Lü; Chapter 2 From Native Place to Workplace: Labor Origins and Outcomes of China's Danwei System, Elizabeth J. Perry; Chapter 3 Republican Origins of the Danwei: The Case of Shanghai's Bank of China, Wen-hsin Yeh; Part 2 Danwei in Comparative Perspective; Chapter 4 Chinese Danwei Reforms: Convergence with the Japanese Model?, Anita Chan; Chapter 5 The Russian "Village in the City" and the Stalinist System of Enterprise Management: The Origins of Worker Alienation in Soviet State Socialism, Rudra Sil; Chapter 6 The Soviet Factory as Community Organizer, Kenneth M. Straus; Part 3 Danwei Under Reform; Chapter 7 Danwei: The Economic Foundations of a Unique Institution, Barry Naughton; Chapter 8 The Impact of the Floating Population on the Danwei: Shifts in the Pattern of Labor Mobility Control and Entitlement Provision, Dorothy J. Solinger; Chapter 9 Work Units and Housing Reform in Two Chinese Cities, Yanjie Bian, John R. Logan, Hanlong Lu, Yunkang Pan, Ying Guan;