What I am

I am highly educated, a critical theorist,[1] a vegetarian ecofeminist (vegan and libertarian socialist),[2] a systems theorist,[3] a qualitative researcher,[4] and a writer. My Ph.D. is in Human Science. My dissertation critically examined conservative attitudes on unauthorized migration.[5]

I have survived (barely) on the underbelly of capitalism for decades and am not a fan: I see both economic and political authority as extremely problematic. I care a great deal about the environment and about social, economic, and environmental justice. And politically, it has to be said that over a period spanning decades, I’ve heard a lot of promises—a lot of hot air and a lot of crocodile tears—from politicians, especially neoliberal politicians, whose policies have undermined my prospects in what I should be,[6] about jobs.[7]

For all of it, I still don’t have a job. I’m not interested in promises or excuses. I want a real job. Now.

(contact information; I am on a lease in the area of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)

I am in generally good health, fully vaccinated against COVID-19, with no child or elder care responsibilities. It is pathetic that that might make a difference.

ORCID iD iconhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-2641-962X

Education:

  • Ph.D., Human Science, January 2016, Saybrook University, San Francisco
  • M.A., Speech Communication, June 2009, California State University, East Bay, Hayward
  • B.A., Mass Communication, Dec. 2005, California State University, East Bay, Hayward
  • A.A., Business Data Processing, 1979, American River College, Sacramento

Writing and Teaching: I am a capable writer and college-level teacher with a focus on making difficult information easy to understand:

  • California State University, East Bay, 25800 Carlos Bee Blvd., Hayward, CA 94542 (June 2007 – June 2009) Taught public speaking classes, which included assigning, reviewing and grading student essays. Supervised tutors in the communication lab from April 2007 – June 2008.
  • Linuxcare, 650 Townsend St., Ste. 120, San Francisco, CA 94103 (Nov. 1999 – Feb. 2001) Worked as a technical writer, preparing user support materials, as well as system certification and solution validation reports.

Driver Supervision: I am an experienced driver and dispatcher and know how to work with drivers and perform back office work supporting drivers:

  • American Airport Shuttle, 120 Willow St., San Francisco, CA 94109, (October 2000 – June 2003) Worked as a dispatcher, answering phones, entering orders, assigning routes, coordinating via radio with drivers for airport shuttle service and taxi service.
  • Radio Cab, 49C Industrial Way, Greenbrae, CA 94904 (May 1994 – August 1997)

Tech literacy: My background includes computer programming and operation.

  • San Francisco General Hospital, 1001 Potrero Ave., San Francisco CA (September 1986 – December 1990) Worked graveyard shift, running nightly batch jobs. I developed new system monitoring programs, and worked with field maintenance personnel to ensure proper system operation.
  • Quinn Company, 10273 S. Golden State Hwy, Selma, CA (December 1981 – May 1985) Business applications programmer for Caterpillar Tractor. Maintained existing and developed new or replacement programs as needed.
  • Electronic Data Systems, Reno, NV (August 1980 – December 1981) Sole systems analyst/programmer on contract to U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Nevada State Office.

Driving: I have extensive experience as a driver and understand the support systems drivers need.

  • Uber, 1455 Market St #400, San Francisco, CA 94103 (Dec. 2016 – present)
  • Lyft, 185 Berry St, San Francisco, CA 94107 (Sept. 2016 – present)
  • Emerald City, 10811 Russet St., Oakland, CA 94603 (Jan. 2018 – Oct. 2018)
  • Top Shelf Medicinal, 414 Lesser, Oakland, CA 94601 (Apr. 2017 – Dec. 2017)
  • Yellow Checker Cab, 1880 S. 7th St., San Jose CA 95112 (May 2005 – September 2006)
  • North Bay Cooperative Taxi, 301 Irwin St., San Rafael CA 94901 (May 2001- November 2001)
  • Luxor Cab, 2230 Jerrold Ave., San Francisco, CA 94124 (Dec. 1997 – Dec. 1999)
  • Sausalito Cab, 3000 Bridgeway, Sausalito, CA 94965 (Aug. 1997 – Dec. 1997)
  • Radio Cab, 49C Industrial Dr., Greenbrae, CA 94904 (May 1994 – Aug. 1997)

This page is part of a series on my job hunt:

  1. Grievance as fury

  2. Poverty, as a constraint on networking opportunities, as a constraint on social mobility, and as rationalizing dehumanization, but also as a perspective on what I am expected to do to find work and its absolute futility.

  3. The transparent absurdity of my job search since 2001 and, after twenty long and infuriating years, the inescapable conclusion that yes, the job market really is a scam.[8] and that I face discrimination, it which it is apparent that there is nothing I can do to overcome biases arrayed against me.

  4. The denial of my human rights and therefore, my reduction to subhuman status.

  5. That which I am not, whether or not neoliberalism or any other expression of power relations requires it.

  6. That which I should be, largely as a consequence of my education.

  7. That which I am, including my résumé

  1. [1]Norman K. Denzin and Yvonna S. Lincoln, eds., Collecting and Interpreting Qualitative Materials, 3rd ed. (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2008); Norman K. Denzin and Yvonna S. Lincoln, eds., The Landscape of Qualitative Research, 3rd ed. (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2008); Norman K. Denzin and Yvonna S. Lincoln, eds., Strategies of Qualitative Inquiry, 3rd ed. (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2008); Norman K. Denzin, Yvonna S. Lincoln, and Linda Tuhiwai Smith, eds., Handbook of Critical and Indigenous Methodologies (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2008); Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, 30th Anniversary Edition (New York: Continuum, 2006); Raymond A. Morrow with David D. Brown, Critical Theory and Methodology (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 1994).↩
  2. [2]Greta Gaard, “Vegetarian Ecofeminism: A Review Essay,” Frontiers 23, no. 3 (2002): 117-146.↩
  3. [3]Fritjof Capra, The Web of Life: A New Scientific Understanding of Living Systems (New York: Anchor, 1996); Joanna Macy, Mutual Causality in Buddhism and General Systems Theory: the Dharma of Natural Systems (Delhi, India: Sri Satguru, 1995).↩
  4. [4]Norman K. Denzin and Yvonna S. Lincoln, eds., The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research, 4th ed. (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2011); Norman K. Denzin, Yvonna S. Lincoln, and Linda Tuhiwai Smith, eds., Handbook of Critical and Indigenous Methodologies (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2008).↩
  5. [5]David Benfell, “Conservative Views on Undocumented Migration” (doctoral dissertation, Saybrook, 2016). ProQuest (1765416126).↩
  6. [6]Ellen Schrecker, “The 50-Year War on Higher Education,” Chronicle of Higher Education, October 14, 2022, https://www.chronicle.com/article/the-50-year-war-on-higher-education↩
  7. [7]David Benfell, “Dickens redux,” Not Housebroken, August 3, 2011, https://disunitedstates.org/2011/08/03/dickens-redux/; Jonathan Capehart, “This is what’s ‘deplorable’ about Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump and this campaign,” Washington Post, September 12, 2016, https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2016/09/12/this-is-whats-deplorable-about-hillary-clinton-donald-trump-and-this-campaign/; Michael Lerner, “Psychopathology in the 2016 Election,” Tikkun, November 3, 2016, http://www.tikkun.org/nextgen/psychopathology-in-the-2016-election-3; Ben Smith, “Obama on small-town Pa.: Clinging to religion, guns, xenophobia,” Politico, April 11, 2008, https://www.politico.com/blogs/ben-smith/2008/04/obama-on-small-town-pa-clinging-to-religion-guns-xenophobia-007737↩
  8. [8]David Benfell, “About that alleged ‘labor shortage,’” Not Housebroken, May 12, 2021, https://disunitedstates.org/2021/05/09/about-that-alleged-labor-shortage/↩