Jamesholston Apr 2026

Holston has authored and edited several foundational texts in urban anthropology: James Holston's Insurgent Citizenship

: This theory describes how marginalized urban residents—particularly the poor in the global South—engage in "counter-politics" to claim rights. By building their own homes and neighborhoods on "illegalized" land, these residents transform themselves into "contributor-citizens" who demand inclusion in the formal legal city. jamesholston

Holston’s scholarship focuses on the as a strategic site for the emergence and erosion of citizenship. He is best known for two influential concepts: Holston has authored and edited several foundational texts

James Holston is a prominent and Professor of Anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley , where he also serves as the founding director of the Social Apps Lab . His work is primarily recognized for redefining how we understand the relationship between urban space, social movements, and democracy. Core Research Themes He is best known for two influential concepts:

: Holston provided a seminal critique of Brasília , Brazil's planned capital. He analyzed how the city’s modernist design attempted to social-engineer a new society but instead resulted in unintended social exclusions and "disjunctions". Key Publications