Leslie Fesenmyer

Leslie Fesenmyer is an Associate Professor in Social Anthropology and African Studies at the University of Birmingham’s Department of African Studies and Anthropology. Her research focuses on transnational migration, kinship, belonging, and Pentecostalism, particularly in the context of migration between Kenya and the United Kingdom.

• DPhil in Social Anthropology, University of Oxford
• MPhil in Social Anthropology, University of Oxford
• BA in Sociology-Anthropology, Middlebury College

Her research spans two primary strands: (1) Religion, Mobility, and the Urban—investigating multi-religious encounters in Nairobi, Kenya, and comparative urban cohabitation in non-secular-liberal contexts (Pakistan, Italy). This work challenges dominant secular-liberal theories of tolerance. (2) Kinship and Care—exploring transnational familial transformations through quotidian interactions, moral economies of kinship, and care practices amid global ageing and neoliberal restructuring.

Leslie’s publications highlight trends in urban anthropology, Pentecostalism, and transnational kinship. Her work often integrates fieldwork from Kenya, the UK, and comparative urban settings.

• ESRC Future Research Leaders Fellowship
• Associate Fellow, Higher Education Academy

She supervises students in the anthropology of migration, diasporas, and Pentecostalism. Her non-academic engagements include advising diaspora organizations on women’s empowerment and funding applications.