A work unit or danwei (simplified Chinese: 单位; traditional Chinese: 單位; pinyin: dān wèi) is the name given to a place of employment in the People's Republic of China. The term danwei remains in use today, as people still use it to refer to their workplace.

Aug 1, 2014 · The danwei (or work unit) compound was the basic spatial and social unit of urban China in the pre-reform period, and its transformation has been an important part of the larger transitions that have remade urban China during the reform era.

Centered on the urban workplace, the danwei (workunit) has been the fundamental social and spatial unit of urban China under socialism. Not only was it the source of employment, wages, and other material benefits for the vast majority of urban residents, it was also the institution through which the urban population was housed, organized ...

Work units, called danwei, are one of the principal territorial forms used to organize China's urban population. These enclosed spaces are the socio-spatial units in which the livelihood and domestic and social activities of its members are carried out.

Results show that the financial situation of the danwei is one of the most important determinants of earnings in today’s urban China. Furthermore, the importance of danwei profitability does not vary by city or by employment sector.

Aug 1, 2014 · The danwei (or work unit) compound was the basic spatial and social unit of urban China in the pre-reform period, and its transformation has been an important part of the larger transitions that have remade urban China during the reform era.

Mar 4, 2005 · Centered on the urban workplace, the danwei (workunit) has been the fundamental social and spatial unit of urban China under socialism.

Apr 10, 2025 · The danwei (unit) was for many years after the creation of the People’s Republic of China the all-inclusive work unit for urban Chinese, encompassing everything from a lifetime social welfare system to a network of work, home, and political relationships.

--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...

The danwei are described by considering: (1) the origins of the concept, (2) phenomenological meanings in contemporary society, (3) socioeconomic-political characteristics, and (4) their spatial implications in the transformation of Chinese society.