Dr. Kate Skinner

Biography

Kate Skinner is a Professor of African History at the University of Bristol. She joined the Bristol History Department in February 2023, having previously worked for almost twenty years in interdisciplinary African Studies at the University of Birmingham. Skinner's research focuses on various aspects of twentieth-century West Africa, especially concerning the connections between formal schooling, mass literacy, and new forms of political mobilization during the decolonization period. Her book examines competing ideas of citizenship in the Ghana-Togo borderlands. She collaborates on a book project that further explores themes related to nationalism and citizenship, alongside notable scholars in the field. Skinner's research endeavors are supported by prestigious funding bodies including the Nuffield Foundation, British Academy, Leverhulme Trust, and the Arts and Humanities Research Council. Her current work addresses politics and family law reform in postcolonial Ghana, and she engages with historical gender activism, drawing from a variety of primary sources including oral history.

Research Interests