Dr Ruth Doughty
Liverpool Screen School
Faculty of Arts Professional and Social Studies
Email: R.J.Doughty@ljmu.ac.uk
Telephone: 0151 231 4769
Dr Ruth Doughty is a Reader (Associate Professor) in Film and Cultural History and the Programme Leader for Film Studies at Liverpool John Moores University. Her research interests include the city of Liverpool, African American cinema, Film Music, Transnational Cinema and Film Theory. Ruth is one of the co-founding editors of the peer-reviewed Routledge journal Transnational Screens (formerly Transnational Cinemas). She has also co-authored the book Understanding Film Theory (2017, 2nd edition) which has been translated into easy Chinese 电影理论自修课.
Ruth is the principal investigator on a Heritage Lottery Funded project looking at the history of the Littlewoods. Littlewoods was an iconic British brand founded by Sir John Moores and his brother Cecil in 1923. From the Football Pools to mail order catalogues and retail stores, at its peak the company employed over 30,000 workers, the majority of whom were women. The legacy of this family-owned business still resonates within the city of Liverpool and beyond. The Littlewoods Heritage project is an archival, oral history and audio-visual community project.
Degrees
2005, Keele University, United Kingdom, PhD: American Studies
1997, Keele University, United Kingdom, BA (Hons) American Studies and Music
Academic appointments
Reader in Film and Cultural History, Film Studies, Liverpool John Moores University, 2024 - present
Programme Leader, Film Studies, Liverpool John Moores University, 2014 - present
Senior Lecturer, Film Studies, Portsmouth University, 2004 - 2014
Lecturer (Fixed Term), English, Bangor University, 2003 - 2004
Lecturer (Sessional), History of Art, University of Leicester, 2001 - 2003
Lecturer (Sessional), Music, Keele University, 2001 - 2003
Lecturer (Sessional), American Studies, Keele University, 1998 - 2003
Highlighted publications
Doughty R, Jones M, Arnold R, Holme P. 2024. Digital Archive: Littlewoods Digital Archive Publisher Url
Spark L, Young J, Halewood-Leagas J, Doughty R, Porter J. 2022. Above All: Inside the Littlewoods Dream Factory Publisher Url
Doughty R, Jones M, Spark L. Littlewoods Heritage Project Exhibition Publisher Url
Books (authored)
Doughty R, Etherington-Wright C. 2025. Understanding Film Theory
Doughty R, Etherington-Wright C. 2017. Understanding Film Theory Palgrave MacMillan. Basingstoke 978-1137528230 Publisher Url
Doughty RJ, Etherington-Wright C. 2011. Understanding Film Theory Palgrave Macmillan. Basingstoke 9780230217102
Doughty R, Shaw D. 2008. Film: The Essential Study Guide Routledge 9781134075638
Internet publication
Doughty R, Jones M. 2024. Website: Littlewoods Heritage Project Publisher Url
Doughty RJ. 2018. Spike Lee’s She’s Gotta Have It takes aim at the ‘clown with the nuclear codes’ Publisher Url
Doughty RJ. 2017. Spike Lee: Selling the Black Aesthetic. In Media Res: A Media Commons Project Publisher Url Public Url
Artefact
Doughty R, Jones M, Arnold R, Holme P. 2024. Digital Archive: Littlewoods Digital Archive Publisher Url
Film
Doughty R, Jones M. 2023. Oral History Interviews for Former Employees of Littlewoods (30 individual interviews)
Spark L, Young J, Halewood-Leagas J, Doughty R, Porter J. 2022. Above All: Inside the Littlewoods Dream Factory Publisher Url
Books (edited)
2020. Transnational Screens Expanding the Borders of Transnational Cinema Doughty R, Shaw D, Garza, D.L A. Routledge 9781000056884
2009. Sound and Music in Film and Visual Media A Critical Overview Doughty R, Harper G, Eisentraut J. Bloomsbury 9781501305443
Chapters
de la Garza A, Doughty R, Shaw D. 2020. Introduction Transnational Screens :1-6 Routledge DOI Publisher Url
Doughty RJ, Shaw D. 2016. Teaching ‘the World’ Through Film Bennett B, Marciniak K. Teaching Transnational Cinema: Politics and Pedagogy Routledge. New York and Oxford 9781317401056
Doughty R. 2011. Film Review: Malcolm X (Spike Lee, 1994) Directory of World Cinema: American Hollywood :160-163 Intellect. Bristol 9781841504155
Doughty RJ. 2009. African American Film Sound: Scoring Blackness Harper G, Eisentraut J, Doughty RJ. Sound and music in film and visual media :325-339 Continuum International Publishing, London 9780826458247 Public Url
Journal article
De La Garza A, Doughty R, Shaw D. 2019. From transnational cinemas to transnational screens Transnational Screens, 10 :(i)-(vi) DOI Publisher Url
Doughty RJ. 2017. The Buppie and Authentic Blackness: Middle-class cultural producers in Spike Lee’s Bamboozled and HBO’s Treme Film International, 3-4 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Doughty RJ. 2012. Katrina’s City? New Orleans, Race, Myth, Forced Migration and Return Crossings: Journal of Migration and Culture, 3 DOI Publisher Url
Doughty RJ. 2007. Manderlay (2005): Lars von Trier’s Narrative of Passing New Cinemas: Journal of Contemporary Film, 5 :153-161 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Doughty R, Griffiths K. 2006. Racial reflection: La haine and the art of borrowing Studies in European Cinema, 3 :117-127 DOI Publisher Url
Report
Doughty R, Chavrimootoo D, Hargreaves S. 2017. The Motivations Expectations and Preparedness of Students from Northern Ireland and Other UK Students Project
Exhibition
Doughty R, Jones M, Spark L. Littlewoods Heritage Project Exhibition Publisher Url
Highlighted activities
Public engagement:
Museum and Gallery exhibitions/education, Visitors to the Museum of Liverpool, Organiser, Museum of Liverpool, Littlewoods Heritage Project Exhibition, 5 month exhibition, https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/whatson/museum-of-liverpool/exhibition/littlewoods-heritage-project-display. 2024
Editorial boards:
Co-founding Editor, Transnational Screens Journal, https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rtrc20. 2019
Co-founding Editor of Routledge Peer Reviewed Journal (Formerly Published by Intellect), Transnational Cinemas Journal, http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rtrc20#.VtRwq9ASeXc. 2008
Professional activities
Media Coverage:
BBC North West Tonight: Live broadcast from the Littlewoods Exhibition Launch 2024
The Echo: 'Loved Liverpool job where wages were 'fantastic' coverage of the museum launch 2024
Radio Merseyside: Littlewoods Exhibition in Museum of Liverpool 2024
Inside Out: BBC North West 2020
Radio Merseyside: Littlewoods Coffee Morning 2020
Radio Merseyside: Littlewoods Heritage Project Launch 2019
Conference presentation:
Oral presentation, LJMU, Faculty Development Day and Teaching & Learning Awards, Work Based Learning: Yentl Community Project. 2025
Oral presentation, LJMU, Student Life Building, APSS Faculty Research Conference, Co-creating a Community Archive : Evaluation and Reflections. With Waters, S.. 2023
Oral presentation, Sheffield Hallam University, Heritage, Community, Archives: Methods, Case Studies, Collaboration, Co-Creating a Digital Archive with the Community: Littlewoods Heritage Project. With Waters, S.. 2023
Oral presentation, LJMU, Student Life Building, Students at the Heart Conference, Working with students and the community to preserve John Moores’s legacy: Littlewoods Heritage Project. 2022
Oral presentation, LJMU, Student Life Building, Tourism, Travel, Culture & Heritage Research Group Symposium, Liverpool Heritage Project: Heritage and the City. 2022
Oral presentation, Kent/University of Kent, BAFTSS, She’s Gotta Have It (2017): Spike Lee and the Commodification of Black Culture. 2018
Oral presentation, LJMU, Redmonds Building, LJMU, Teaching and Learning Conference, The journey through LJMU for a Northern Irish student: Ruth Doughty & Una Barr Faculty of Arts, Professional & Social Studies, Vicci Boyd & Anne-Marie Fitzpatrick Faculty of Education, Health & Community, Sharon Roden, Student Recruitment & Bernadette McGrath, Student advice & Wellbeing,. 2018
Oral presentation, Manchester/University of Manchester, HEA Annual Conference, Supporting students from Northern Ireland: Exploring the barriers and enablers for a successful transition to higher education in the UK. 2017
Oral presentation, Bristol/University of Bristol, BAFTSS, The City that Time Forgot: Filmic Temporality in New Orleans, Post-Katrina. 2017
Oral presentation, London/NCVO Society Building, Enhancing Student Engagement NUS Conference, Northern Irish Student Retention: A Case Study (Liverpool John Moores University). With Danielle Chavrimootoo. 2017
Oral presentation, Norwich/University of East Anglia, Film and the Environment, How to Hide a Hurricane: Sprinkling Fairy Dust on Disaster in The Princess and the Frog. 2016
Oral presentation, Salford University, MECCSA, Documenting Katrina: Jazz and Rap as Modes of Discourse’. 2011
Oral presentation, Dublin Institute of Technology, European Cinema Research Forum, Screening Transnational Guilt. 2008
Oral presentation, Swansea University, European Cinema Research Forum, Manderlay: Lars von Trier’s Narrative of Passing. 2006
Oral presentation, Aberystwyth University, National BAAS Conference, From Minstrelsy to Mos Def and Chuck D: the Voyeuristic Representation of Black Culture in Spike Lee’s Bamboozled’. 2004
Oral presentation, Glasgow, Screen Conference, Spike Lee: Signifyin’ on Gershwin’s Summertime. 2004
Oral presentation, Keele University, National BAAS, Fulfillin’ the Needs and Plantin’ the Seeds of a Jazz Thing’: Spike Lee Cultural Historian or Mo’ than Likely Missing the Point. 1999
Research Grants Awarded:
Grant value (£): £1993, Enhancing Research Culture: Bid Development Fund, Emily Cuming, David McDermott, The Sinking of the Lancastria. 2025
Grant value (£): £3000, QR Funding, Martin Jones, Remembering Yentl (Barbara Streisand, 1983). 2025
Duration of research project: 3 months, Grant value (£): 2997.38, Higher Education Innovation Funding, Littlewoods Heritage Project. 2024
Duration of research project: 1 year, Grant value (£): 9739, QR Funding, Littlewoods Heritage Project: Project Manager for Exhibition. 2023
Duration of research project: 5 months, Grant value (£): 8307.55, QR Funding, Caroline Wilkinson LJMU, Littlewoods Heritage Project: 1 x Digital Archive Curator (Research Assistant), 2 x Museum Archive Assistants (Internships), 2 x LJMU Special Collection Interns, 1 x Facelab Intern and 1 x Web Design Intern and 1 x Historical Researcher Intern. 2022
Duration of research project: 6 months, Grant value (£): £9,995.68, QR Policy Support Fund, Littlewoods Heritage Project: Digital Archive Curator (Research Assistant), 4 x Museum Archive Assistant (Internships) and 2 Web Design and Content Creation (Internships). 2021
Duration of research project: 10 months (20 days), Grant value (£): 9,955.80, LJMU Funded Internship, Littlewoods Heritage Project: 4 x Museum Archive Assistants. 2019
Duration of research project: 18 months (Extended to 2024 due to COIVD), Grant value (£): 48,100, Heritage Lottery, Pete Woodbridge, Littlewoods Heritage Project. 2019
Duration of research project: 3 Months, Grant value (£): £1643.84, LJMU Funded Internship Programme, Littlewoods Heritage Project: 2 x Museum Archive Assistants (internships). 2019
Duration of research project: 3 Months (12 days), Grant value (£): 1,596.98, LJMU Curriculum Enhancement Internships, Littlewoods Heritage Project: 2 x Archive Researchers and Oral History Interviewers (internships). 2018
Duration of research project: 1, Grant value (£): 27,000, Accommodation Partnership Income (API), Danielle Chavrimootoo, The Motivations Expectations and Preparedness of Students from Northern Ireland and Other UK Students Project. 2017
Public engagement:
Public talk or lecture, Academic and General Public, Invited Speaker, School of Arts, University of Liverpool, Blackboard Jungle at 70: Revisiting a film that gave teenagers rock ’n’ roll, COSME Film Screening & Discussion, https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/school-of-the-arts-university-of-liverpool/cosme-film-screening-discussion/e-egjojl. 2025
Public talk or lecture, Princes Rd, Synagogue congrgation, Organiser and Host, LJMU, Jewish Heritage Film Day (150th Anniversary Princes Rd, Synagogue)., Coordinated and Convened academic speakers, screening and community discussion, https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/150th-anniversary-of-princes-road-synagogue-ljmu-film-day-tickets-1219356119979?aff=oddtdtcreator. 2025
Museum and Gallery exhibitions/education, Visitors to the Museum of Liverpool, Organiser, Museum of Liverpool, Littlewoods Heritage Project Exhibition, 5 month exhibition, https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/whatson/museum-of-liverpool/exhibition/littlewoods-heritage-project-display. 2024
Public talk or lecture, Former Employees, John Moores Family, Project Stakeholders and LJMU Staff and dignitaries, Invited Speaker, Museum of Liverpool, Roscoe Lecture: The Littlewoods Legacy, This special Roscoe event coincides with a public exhibition, curated by Ruth, which brings the incredible legacy of Littlewoods to life. This display is currently on show at the Museum of Liverpool and has been extended, due to popular demand, until the end of June 2024., https://www.ljmu.ac.uk/about-us/news/articles/2024/6/7/latest-roscoe-celebrates-littlewoods-legacy. 2024
Public talk or lecture, Former Employees, John Moores Family, Project Stakeholders and LJMU Staff and dignitaries., Film Screening, Organiser and Speaker, Museum of Liverpool, Museum Launch: Littlewoods Heritage Project, Launch event for the exhibition at the museum. Talk and screenings of community film and showreel from Oral History interviews with former employees.. 2024
Museum and Gallery exhibitions/education, The Very Group Staff, Organiser, The Very Group, Skyways House, Speke, Littlewoods Heritage Exhibition, Invited to hold exhibition for the Very Group. 2023
Public talk or lecture, Employees of The Very Group, Invited Speaker, Skyways House, Speke, Remembering Littlewood: The History of a Brand, Public Lecture with Martin Jones about the history of Littlewoods. Audience: 55 face to face and 298 online., https://www.instagram.com/p/C0jWAfRM2qc/?img_index=5. 2023
Museum and Gallery exhibitions/education, Local Adults, Invited exhibition, Roscoe Lecture, Installed small version of Littlewoods exhibition at the university's Roscoe Lecture.. 2023
Museum and Gallery exhibitions/education, Former employees of Littlewoods, Invited to hold an exhibition taster and meet former employees at centenary event, Skybar, Innside Hotel, Old Hall Street, Liverpool, Football Pools Centenary Celebrations: Littlewoods Heritage Project Exhibition, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEcnWHNa5Tg. 2023
Museum and Gallery exhibitions/education, LJMU Students, Staff and Parents, Organiser, LJMU, John Lennon Art and Design Building, Graduation Littlewoods Heritage Project Exhibition, The exhibition was installed for Graduation Week.. 2023
Museum and Gallery exhibitions/education, LJMU Dignitaries and Staff, Organiser, Anglican Cathedral, Liverpool, LJMU Founder's Dinner: Littlewoods Heritage Project Exhibition, Invited to hold exhibition at LJMU Bicentenary Founder's Day Dinner.. 2023
Museum and Gallery exhibitions/education, LJMU Staff and Former Employees of Littlewoods, Organiser, LJMU, Student Life Building, Littlewoods Heritage Project Exhibition LJMU Launch, Launch for the exhibition as part of the Faculty Research Conference, https://www.littlewoodsheritageproject.co.uk/exhibition-launch. 2023
Public talk or lecture, Former Employees of Littlewoods and LJMU Staff, Organiser, LJMU, Student Life Building, Littlewoods Heritage Project Exhibition Launch, Talk about the Littlewoods Heritage Project to celebrate the launch of the exhibition as part of the Faculty Research Conference. 2023
Performance art: music, dance, drama, etc., Former Employees and Artists, organiser, Film Screening - Above All: Inside the Dream Factory, Additional Screening of Film for community, https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/above-all-inside-the-littlewoods-dream-factory-screening-tickets-407863178747?aff=oddtdtcreator. 2022
Performance art: music, dance, drama, etc., Former Employees of Littlewoods, Organiser, LJMU, Redmonds, Premiere Film Screening - Above All: Inside the Littlewoods Dream Factory, Premiere of Community Film, https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/above-all-inside-the-littlewoods-dream-factory-screening-tickets-344068346687. 2022
Public talk or lecture, Local Adults, Invited Speaker, LJMU, Student Life Building, Big Ideas: Community Research Event, Research Talks for Community Guests. 2022
Public consultation, Former Employees of Littlewoods, Organiser, Edge Lane Station, Metal, Littlewoods Coffee Morning, Coffee morning for former employees of Littlewoods to share stories with Project Team, https://www.littlewoodsheritageproject.co.uk/coffee-mornings. 2020
Public talk or lecture, LJMU Staff, Invited Speaker, Research Cafe: Littlewoods Heritage Project, Invited to speak at the LJMU Research Cafe Series. 2020
Other, Liverpool residents, Podcast, Invited speaker, MerseyWaves Podcast, LJMU, Redmonds, Podcast: MerseyWaves: Littlewoods Building - The past, present and future, Invited to speak about the Littlewoods Heritage Project on this Liverpool City Council podcast, https://open.spotify.com/episode/4gv0fy19rIUi0Wm19M3YAZ. 2019
Public talk or lecture, Local adults, Invited Speaker, Leaf, Bold St, Liverpool, Ignite: Littlewoods Heritage Project, Talk for the general public about the Lottery Funded Littlewoods Hertiage Project:, https://igniteliverpool.com/2019/09/littlewoods-heritage-project-ruth-doughty/. 2019
Public talk or lecture, Former Employees of Littlewoods, People interested in local history, Organiser, LJMU, Redmonds, Littlewoods Heritage Project Launch, Launch of the Lottery Funded Project, https://metalculture.com/metal-tv/littlewoods-heritage-project-launch-event/. 2019
Public talk or lecture, Local Adults, Invited Speaker, The International Slavery Museum, Liverpool, The BlacKkKlansman, A public lecture Introducing Spike Lee's 2018 film, The BlacKkKlansman, https://www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk/article/listings/region/liverpool/blackkklansman/. 2019
Public talk or lecture, Local Adults, Invited Speaker, Scoring Psycho, The public lecture on the use of music in the iconic Alfred Hitchcock film Psycho (1960), https://issuu.com/liverpoolphilharmonic/docs/2016.5.4_rlpo_16.17_season_brochure. 2016
Public talk or lecture, University Students, Invited Speaker, University of Hertfordshire, History of Black Filmmaking, Invited to deliver a talk on the history of Black Filmmaking for Black History Month. Annual Talk: 2010-2015. 2015
Public talk or lecture, Local Adults, Invited Speaker, The Films of Oscar Micheaux and an introduction to the screening of Within Our Gates (1919)., Cambridge Film Consortium in association with Anglia Ruskin University. 2008
Public talk or lecture, Academic Staff and Students, Invited Speaker, Liverpool Institute of Popular Music, An examination of the music found in Spike Lee’s Do the Right thing’. 2001
Other Professional Activity:
Invited Speaker: LSS Research Support Workshop - Applying for Funding: National Lottery Heritage Fund. 2022
Editorial boards:
Co-founding Editor, Transnational Screens Journal, https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rtrc20. 2019
Co-founding Editor of Routledge Peer Reviewed Journal (Formerly Published by Intellect), Transnational Cinemas Journal, http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rtrc20#.VtRwq9ASeXc. 2008
Teaching qualification:
PostGraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PGCAP). 2016
Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education. 2007
Membership of professional bodies:
British Association of Film, Television and Screen Studies (BAFTSS),, Member of BAFTSS (British Association of Film, Television and Screen Studies), http://www.baftss.org/.
Media, Communication and Cultural Studies Association (MeCCSA),, Member of MeCCSA (Media, Communication and Cultural Studies Association), http://www.meccsa.org.uk/.
Fellowships:
Higher Education Academy, Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/recognition-accreditation/fellowships/become-fellow-hea.