The danwei, or work unit, occupies a central place in Chinese society. To understand Chinese politics demands a better understanding of this system. This volume provides a systematic study of the danwei system and addresses a variety of questions from historical and comparative perspectives.

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;