Expertise/Areas of Interest
Holston has a primary interest in political anthropology, though he draws on several fields of inquiry, including law, architecture, and planning. His current research examines modern citizenship in two contexts of change and uncertainty: the emergence of new democracies and the transformations of contemporary cities. He studies relations of cities, citizenship, and democracy primarily in Brazil and the United States. He has also worked on issues of illegal immigration and civic participation in California, focusing on the increasing presence of non-nationals and/or discriminated citizens in cities and considering the problems their civic exclusion poses for American and Brazilian democracy.

Topics of Publications
Holston has published on three sets of issues: (1) citizenship and democracy, particularly in emerging democracies (rights, rule of law, property conflicts, illegality, social movements, violence, segregation, politics of difference, multiculturalism); (2) cities, architecture, and planning; and (3) new religions among the urban poor.

Background
Holston joined the UCSD faculty in 1991 having earned his Ph.D in Anthropology from Yale in 1986.