"An important contribution to Andeanist anthropology, Sian Lazar's innovative treatment of citizenship represents a new take on classic political and urban anthropology. Very few studies have explored with such nuance and personal intimacy the political beliefs and practices of poor residents of an Andean city."--Daniel M. Goldstein, author of "The Spectacular City: Violence and Performance in Urban Bolivia"

List of Illustrations ix
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction 1
1. El Alto the City 25
Part One
2. Constructing the Zone 61
3. Citizens Despite the State 91
4. Place, Movement, and Ritual 118
5. How the Gods Touch Humans (and Vice Versa) 144
Part Two
6. Competition, Individualism, and Collective Organization 178
7. "In-Betweenness" and Political Agency 206
8. The State and the Unions 233
Conclusion 258
Notes 267
Glossary 283
Bibliography 287
Index 311