Anshan Industrial Life Memories — Steelworker (Case 13)
Description
A retired Anshan steelworker completed the worker (职工本人版) questionnaire. They began work in the 1970s and were assigned to Anshan Iron & Steel (Angang), learning their trade mainly through work-unit training; the unit shaped daily life most through the neighborhood, and the respondent described the sense of belonging as 'a security/pension guarantee' and 'an identity.' On the 1990s restructuring they could not clearly recall the degree of change, categorized themselves as internal/early retirement, learned of changes through meetings, and said income was the biggest impact; compared with another type of worker they felt the impact was 'not the same.' Afterward people around them moved into technical-service work; old skills were 'somewhat useful.' The work-unit organization helped most during the changes; classmate reunions keep people in touch, though formal and informal channels were 'neither much' help now. They keep old photos and a work ID/badge, have visited the Angang Museum / Meng Tai memorial, and feel young people know the 'Steel City' history fairly well. Some descendants are in related industries; the respondent leaves it up to their children, tells old-unit stories occasionally, and their one word to the next generation was 'work.' They consent to review before publication and are willing to be re-contacted for a deeper interview.
世代 / generation: Worker's own age-cohort checkbox is not among the provided pages; respondent began work in the 1970s (so likely a 1940s–1950s cohort). · 身份 / role or relationship: Retired Anshan steelworker (Angang / 鞍山钢厂); took internal / early retirement around the 1990s restructuring. · 提及的物件与场所 / objects and places recalled: 工作证/厂牌（鞍山钢厂，约1989年，本人一直保管，愿意公开展示）；老照片（父亲，鞍钢/单位相关）
In their own words selected highlights, verbatim, de-identified
养老保障。
不一样。
有同学聚会。
Full interview parallel text
The complete question-and-answer record, in the order the respondent answered it (44 exchanges). The Chinese is the respondent’s own wording, transcribed from the photographed pages; illegible passages are marked 【难辨】 / [illegible] rather than guessed. The English is a working translation by the editor, not part of the source.
Left column: respondent’s Chinese, as written · Right column: editor’s working translation
问您大概在哪个时期参加工作？
QRoughly when did you start working?
答1970年代
AThe 1970s
问您愿意说说当时为什么进这个单位吗？（学校分配/家里安排/自己选择/亲友介绍…）
QWhy did you join this work unit back then?
答都〔难辨〕分配了鞍钢了。习惯了。
A[largely illegible] … was assigned to Angang; got used to it.
问当时学技术主要靠什么？
QHow did you mainly learn your skills back then?
答单位培训
ATraining by the work unit
问您觉得当年最重要的本事是什么？（技术，或吃苦、细心、配合、经验、判断力）
QWhat was the most important skill back then?
答【难辨】
A[illegible]
问有没有书本上学不到、只能靠师傅或经验学到的东西？
QAnything you could only learn from a master or from experience, not books?
答【难辨】
A[illegible]
问「单位」对生活影响大吗？体现在哪些方面？
QDid the work unit shape daily life? In what ways?
答邻里
AThe neighborhood / neighbors
问那时候大家对鞍钢/单位的感觉，像什么？（先用您自己的词），再挑：一份工作/一个大家庭/一个社区/一种身份/不好说
QWhat did the unit feel like — first in your own word, then pick one
答（您的词）养老保障；〔选〕一种身份
A(own word) 'a security / pension guarantee'; chose: 'an identity'
问带我走进一个地方（澡堂/厂门口/车间/家属院…），说说样子、声音、气味、人。
QTake me into one memorable place — its look, sound, smell, people.
答走进厂门口……【难辨】
AWalking in through the factory gate … [rest illegible]
问那段时间，单位或岗位有没有明显变化？
QAround then, was there obvious change to the unit or your post?
答记不清
ACan't quite remember
问您当时大概属于哪一类？
QWhich category applied to you then?
答内退/提前退休
AInternal / early retirement
问单位一般怎么通知这些变化？
QHow did the unit usually announce these changes?
答开会
AThrough meetings
问当时对您影响最大的是？
QWhat affected you most at the time?
答收入
AIncome
问比一比：和另一种岗位的人相比，那几年你们受到的影响一样吗？
QCompared with someone in another type of post, was the impact the same in those years?
答不一样。
ANot the same.
问岗位变化后，您或身边同事一般去了哪里？
QAfter the changes, where did you or nearby colleagues generally go?
答做技术服务
AInto technical-service work
问以前学到的本事，后来还有用吗？
QWere your old skills still useful afterward?
答一些用
ASomewhat useful
问哪些本事容易带到别的工作里？（认真、守时、机械经验、管理、看设备、带徒弟、与人打交道…）
QWhich skills transfer easily to other work?
答【难辨】
A[illegible]
问哪些本事离开原单位就用不上了？
QWhich skills became useless once you left the old unit?
答修理【难辨】
ARepair … [rest illegible]
问如果有人离开鞍山去外地，您觉得最难适应的是什么？您身边有这样的人吗？
QWhat is hardest to adapt to when leaving Anshan? Anyone like that around you?
答身边有这样的人。〔部分难辨〕
AThere were such people around me. [partly illegible]
问遇到岗位变化时，谁对您帮助最大？
QDuring the job changes, who helped you most?
答单位组织
AThe work-unit organization
问大家会互相介绍工作、打听消息、互相照顾吗？
QDid people introduce jobs to each other, share news, look after one another?
答发通知。〔难辨〕
AThey sent out notices. [uncertain reading]
问有没有老同事聚会、同学聚会、饭局、微信群帮大家联系？
QAny old-colleague or classmate reunions, dinners, or WeChat groups keeping people connected?
答有同学聚会。
AYes, there are classmate reunions.
问您觉得是正式渠道帮助大，还是熟人/老同事帮助大？
QWere formal channels or acquaintances/old colleagues more helpful?
答都不大
ANeither much
问您现在还和老同事联系吗？
QAre you still in touch with old colleagues?
答很少
ARarely
问您去过鞍钢博物馆、孟泰纪念馆或类似的地方吗？
QHave you been to the Angang Museum, Meng Tai memorial, or similar?
答去过
AYes, been there
问您觉得这些地方能让年轻人了解以前的工厂生活吗？
QCan such places help young people understand old factory life?
答能
AYes
问您觉得现在年轻人还了解「钢城」这段历史吗？
QDo today's young people still know the 'Steel City' history?
答比较了解
AFairly well
问您家里是否还保存和工作有关的东西？（可多选）
QDo you still keep work-related items at home? (multi-select)
答老照片、工作证/厂牌
AOld photos; work ID / factory badge
问您的孩子或晚辈有没有进入钢铁、机械、工程、制造相关工作？
QHave any of your children/juniors gone into steel, machinery, engineering, or manufacturing?
答有人相关有人不
ASome are, some aren't
问您当年希望孩子继续进类似单位吗？
QBack then, did you hope your children would enter a similar unit?
答随他们
AUp to them
问您会给孩子讲以前单位里的故事吗？
QDo you tell your children stories from the old unit?
答偶尔
AOccasionally
问您给下一代最想说的一句话是什么？
QThe one thing you'd most want to say to the next generation?
答工作
A"Work."
问年轻一代和您这一代，对「单位/稳定工作/技术工人」的看法有什么不同？
QHow do the young generation and yours differ on 'the unit / a stable job / the skilled worker'?
答【难辨】
A[illegible]
问先不看选项：如果用一个词形容以前的鞍钢/老单位，您会用哪个词？为什么？
QWithout looking at options: one word for the old Angang/unit, and why?
答【难辨】（似提到「钢」）
A[illegible] (appears to mention 'steel')
问您觉得这段经历中，最该被年轻人记住的是什么？
QWhat in this experience should young people most remember?
答【难辨】
A[illegible]
问您觉得像我这样的年轻人，最容易误解你们那一代人的地方是什么？
QWhat do young people like me most easily misunderstand about your generation?
答【难辨】
A[illegible]
问今天有没有哪部分您希望我不要记录、不要引用，或引用前必须再问您？
QAnything today you'd rather I not record or quote, or must re-ask before quoting?
答没有
ANo
问整理好后，您想先看一遍再决定是否公开吗？
QOnce compiled, would you like to review it before deciding on publication?
答想看
AYes, wants to review
问以后若需要补充访谈，您是否愿意通过介绍人再联系？
QIf a follow-up is needed, willing to be re-contacted via the introducer?
答可以
AYes
问您是否愿意日后接受一次更深入的访谈，把您的故事更完整地记录下来？
QWilling to give a deeper interview later to record your story more fully?
答愿意
AWilling
问【照片/物件登记卡·工作证】这是什么？大概是哪一年？
Q[Object registration card · work ID] What is it? Roughly which year?
答工作证/厂牌；约1989年〔年份难辨，或为1979〕
AWork ID / factory badge; approx. 1989 [year uncertain; possibly 1979]
问【登记卡·工作证】在哪里？什么场合？一直由谁保管？
Q[Card · work ID] Where? What occasion? Who has kept it?
答鞍山钢厂；上班；自己一直保管
AAnshan Steel Works; at/for work; kept by the respondent
问【登记卡·工作证】上面有没有字、印章、编号、奖项名称？
Q[Card · work ID] Any text, seal, number, or award name on it?
答【难辨】（似提到姓名与工号）
A[illegible] (appears to note a name and worker number)
问【登记卡·工作证】愿意我们怎么使用？署名方式？
Q[Card · work ID] How may we use it? Attribution preference?
答可以公开展示；可以写上提供者：【姓名已隐去】
AMay be shown publicly; provider name supplied [name withheld]
问【登记卡·老照片】上面是谁？在哪里？（第二张登记卡）
Q[Card · old photo] Who is in it? Where? (a second registration card)
答家父（父亲）；【其余难辨】
AMy father; [rest illegible]
Significance to the comparison
The Anshan side of the comparison, in a first-person voice: how the danwei (work-unit) organized a whole life, what the 1990s restructuring did to it, and whether the next generation stayed or left. It is the lived-memory counterpart to the paper's question about what lets an industrial community absorb a transition.
Provenance
- Field collection
- Paper questionnaire (职工本人版) completed voluntarily in Anshan, 2026; photographed page by page; transcribed and de-identified for the archive. Original held privately.
Evidence media
- Completed paper questionnaire, 21 photographed pages; 44 question-and-answer exchanges transcribed verbatim (original held privately).
Sources two independent sources, each resolving
- Anshan field collection questionnaire response, 2026 (original held privately).
- Steel & Oil archive field instrument (职工本人版), 2026.
Tim Qiao, ed., “Anshan Industrial Life Memories — Steelworker (Case 13),” Steel & Oil: Anshan–Houston Industrial Memory Archive, OHS-AS-112, version 0.2 (field-collected, Anshan, 2026). Citation formats and the stable-identifier scheme →