bendittl [at] gmail [dot] com
EDUCATION
2016, Ph.D., Sociology, Stanford University
Dissertation: “Government Bureaucrats in a Postmodern World: Expectations, Identity, and Attacks”
While government bureaucracy is often perceived to be largely impervious to external influence, this project examines how trends in organizational ecology, labor relations, generational turnover, and diffuse political culture have converged to affect the government organizational context. This research combines qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with state government employees in three U.S. states with quantitative analysis of the General Social Survey to explore several research questions: What role do public sector values play in the choice to work for the government? How does intrusive politics affect the attitudes and behaviors of public sector bureaucrats? And, under what circumstances do these bureaucrats mobilize? The results provide evidence that government organizations are neither static nor homogeneous, and that understanding and promoting retention within the public-sector labor force requires accounting for the variation among its workers.
Qualifying Paper: “Individual Values and Occupational Choice: Public Service Motivation as both Cause and Effect of Public Sector Employment”
Completed Qualifying Exams: Social Inequality, Political Sociology, Social Movements and Collective Action
Adviser: Doug McAdam
Committee: Doug McAdam (chair), David Grusky, Corey Fields, Thomas Ehrlich, David Labaree
2009, M.P.A., University of Wisconsin—Madison, La Follette School of Public Affairs
Capstone Paper: “Addressing Health Disparities Affecting Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Youth and Adults in Wisconsin”
Adviser: Karen Holden
2005, B.A., History, Carleton College
Senior Thesis: “Filling the Gaps? Using Second Wave Memoir as a Historical Source”
Adviser: Annette Igra
PUBLICATIONS
Journal Articles & Reports
Benditt, L. “Race, gender, and public sector work: Prioritizing occupational values as a labor market privilege.” Research in Social Stratification and Mobility 42, 73-86, 2015.
[PDF]
Benditt, L. “Money and Marriage: The Price of Proposition 8.” PolicyMatters 6(2), 4-7, 2009.
[PDF]
Benditt, L., E. Engel, M. Gavin, and E. Stransky. “Addressing Health Disparities Affecting LGBT Youth and Adults in Wisconsin: A Report for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.” Madison: University of Wisconsin, 2009.
[PDF]
Ermis, R. Seutter, A. Zhu, L. Benditt, L. VantHeel, S. Sakaguchi, K. Lurie, F. Lu, and D. Benditt. “Impact of Upgrade to Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy on Ventricular Arrhythmia Frequency in Patients With Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators.” Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 46(12), 2005.
[PDF]
Trade Publications
Benditt, L. “Why College Matters.” Minnesota 2020. December 7, 2009.
Benditt, L. “Positive Changes Coming for College Loans.” Minnesota 2020. November 30, 2009.
Benditt, L. “Minnesota’s Higher Education Disparity.” Minnesota 2020. November 16, 2009.
Benditt, L. and J. Fitzgerald. “Higher Education Grant Shortfall Makes Choice Easy for Policymakers.” Minnesota 2020. November 9, 2009.
Under Review
Benditt, L. “Collective Inaction and the Plight of the Public Sector Union”
(Under review: Social Psychology Quarterly)
Working Papers
Benditt, L. “Differential Recruitment and Cohort Variation in Public Employee Union Mobilziation.”
Work in Progress
Benditt, L. “Developing Perspectives on Principal-Agent Theory.”
RESEARCH AND TEACHING INTERESTS
Stratification/Inequality, Social Movements/Collective Action, Urban Studies, Research Design, Research Methods, Social/Education Policy
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2013-2016: Teaching Fellow, Stanford University, Department of Sociology
Sociology 300, Teaching Development Workshop (Spring 2016)
Sociology 118/218, Social Movements and Collective Action (Fall 2015)
Sociology 117D, Recognizing Inequality (Summer 2013, Summer 2015)
Sociology 102D, 21st Century Social Movements: Innovations in Structures and Strategies (Summer 2014)
2011–2014: Teaching Assistant, Stanford University, Department of Sociology and Program in Urban Studies
Urban Studies 110, Utopia and Reality: Introduction to Urban Studies (Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Fall 2014)
Urban Studies 203, Senior Seminar (Fall 2013)
Sociology/Urban Studies 202, Preparation for Senior Research: Writing in the Major (Winter 2011, Winter 2012)
Sociology 200, Junior and Senior Seminar: Writing in the Major (Fall 2011)
GRANTS AND AWARDS
Eisenhower/Roberts Fellowship Recipient (Eisenhower-Roberts Institute), 2016
Cilker Teaching Award Recipient (Stanford, Sociology Dept.), 2015
NSF Dissertation Improvement Grant Recipient, 2014
Centennial Teaching Award Recipient (Stanford), 2014
Ric Weiland Graduate Fellowship Recipient (Stanford), 2013
Stanford Graduate Research Opportunity Grant Recipient, 2013
Clara Penniman Prize for Best Paper in Public Policy (UW-Madison), 2009
Director’s Book Award for Academic Achievement (UW-Madison), 2009
Pi Alpha Alpha (national honor society in public affairs and administration), Inducted 2009
La Follette Fellowship (UW-Madison), 2007–2008
Magna cum Laude (Carleton), 2005
Distinction in History (Carleton), 2005
Distinction on senior thesis (Carleton, History Dept.), 2005
CONFERENCE AND PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS
Benditt, L. “Collective Inaction and the Plight of the Public Sector Union.” Paper presented at the American Sociological Association Annual Meeting, August 12-16, 2017.
Benditt, L. “The Luxury of Choice: Race, Gender, and Prioritizing Occupational Values in the Public Sector.” Paper presented at the American Sociological Association Annual Meeting, August 22-26, 2015.
Benditt, L. “Are They Really Just Lazy?: Competing Accounts of Public Sector Work.” Paper presented at the American Sociological Association Annual Meeting, August 16-19, 2014.
Benditt, L. “When Principals Attack their Agents: Young Public Workers’ Responses to US Conservative Politics.” Paper presented at the Pacific Sociological Association Annual Meeting, March 27-30, 2014.
Benditt, L. “Individual Values and Occupational Choice: PSM and Public Sector Employment.” Paper presented at the American Sociological Association Annual Meeting, August 10-13, 2013.
Benditt, L., E. Engel, M. Gavin, and E. Stransky. “Addressing Health Disparities Affecting LGBT Youth and Adults in Wisconsin.” Paper presented to the Wisconsin Secretary of Health Services, May 11, 2009.
Benditt, L. “Women and Minorities in the Forest Products Lab Oral History Project.” Paper presented at the Wisconsin Oral History Day Conference, April 27, 2009.
Benditt, L. “The Forest Products Lab Oral History Project.” Paper presented at the Oral History Association Annual Conference, October 16-18, 2008.
INVITED PRESENTATIONS
Benditt, L. “Quantitative Data and Analysis” in Urban Studies 203: Senior Seminar (Stanford University), October 8, 2013.
Benditt, L. “Qualitative Data and Analysis” in Urban Studies 203: Senior Seminar (Stanford University), October 1, 2013
Benditt, L. “Conducting Qualitative Interviews” in Sociology 200: Junior/Senior Seminar (Stanford University), October 6, 2011.
SELECTED PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
YouGov, Director of Research/Senior Research Analyst/Research Analyst, 2016-2018
GapJumpers, UX Research Consultant, 2016
Queue, UX Research Project Intern, Fall 2015
Stanford Center for Teaching and Learning, Teaching Consultant, 2014–2016
National Poverty Center: Stanford, National Poverty Fellow, 2012–2014
Minnesota Department of Revenue, Tax Research Analyst, 2009–2010, Summer 2012
Minnesota 2020, Higher Education Policy Associate, 2009
University of Wisconsin, La Follette School of Public Affairs, Project Assistant, 2008–2009
University of Wisconsin Oral History Program, Graduate Assistant, 2008–2009
Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, Bonnie Reese (Research) Intern, 2008
Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, Licensing Intern, 2007
Minnesota State House of Representatives, Committee Legislative Assistant, 2007
Minnesota Women’s Campaign Fund, Development Intern, 2006
Thomson West Publishing, Editor, 2005–2006
SELECTED SERVICE
Reviewer for: Sociological Forum, Mobilization, Research on Social Stratification and Mobility, The Sociological Quarterly, Public Personnel Administration
Stanford Sociology and Education Network, Treasurer, 2012–2016
Stanford Association of Sociology Graduate Students, Undergraduate Studies Chair, 2012–2015
Stanford Association of Sociology Graduate Students, Space Chair, 2011–2012
Pi Alpha Alpha, UW-Madison Chapter, Acting Vice President, 2009
La Follette Student Association Board, Vice President, 2008–2009
La Follette Higher Education Policy Group, Chair, 2008–2009
Carleton College History Department Internal Review Committee, Member, 2004–2005
HOPE Center of Rice County (MN), Advocate Against Sexual Assault & Domestic Violence, 2003–2005
Chrysalis Women’s Resource Center (Minneapolis, MN), Resource Counselor, 2003
REFERENCES
Doug McAdam
Professor of Sociology
Stanford University
650–723–9401
[email protected]
David Grusky
Professor of Sociology
Director, Stanford Center of Poverty and Inequality
Stanford University
650–724–6912
[email protected]
Thomas Ehrlich
Visiting Professor of Education
Stanford University
650–721–2500
[email protected]
Corey Fields
Assistant Professor of Sociology
Stanford University
[email protected]
David Labaree
Professor of Education
Stanford University
650–725–7412
[email protected]
