Gender-based trends in labor are linked to the ever-changing concept

My answers

1. According to the passage, the Doctrine of the Two Spheres describes which of the following societal situations?
--> E

A. Men and women shared responsibility for the economic upkeep of the family.
--> Eliminate.

B. Women were afforded a moral authority that had no practical application.

C. Gender roles became less defined than they had been in the Colonial era.
--> Eliminate.

D. Men were afforded the option of working outside or inside the home.
--> Eliminate. Nothing is said about the fact that men had an option; rather were they expected to work in order to provide for their family.

E. Society became more patriarchal, as women were prevented from contributing economically to the upkeep of the family.
--> "Many men could not successfully maintain the position of sole breadwinner" - men were the only ones to work and to contribute economically to the upkeep of the family, since women were prevented to do so
--> "women colonists enjoyed a degree of economic egalitarianism that would all but disappear with industrialization.

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2. Which of the following general theories is best supported by the passage?
--> My first guess was A, B or C
--> I tend to B

A. A sharp economic downturn at the end of the Colonial era prompted a move toward the gender-segregated labor system of the Industrial Revolution.
--> Nothing is said about an economic downturn; furthermore, the passage "gender-segregated labor system" implies that women AND men were working, just in gender-seperate units (similar to e.g. the segregation between ethnicities during the 20th century) but the text is about the fact that women were not supposed to work at all

B. The Colonial era in America was characterized by a social egalitarianism that disappeared with the advent of the Industrial Revolution.
--> Most fitting answer, although I am unsure about "social" egalitarianism, since in the text it says "economic" egalitarianism.

C. The Industrial Revolution, while known as a time of great progress in American history, caused significant socioeconomic strain for men and women alike.
--> Nothing is said about the fact that the Industrial Revolution was "known as a time of great progress"

D. The beginning of the women’s movement in the early twentieth century was a backlash against the Cult of True Womanhood created during the Industrial Revolution.
--> The women´s movement is not mentioned here

E. Single-parent families became socially acceptable during the Industrial Revolution, as men abandoned their families under the pressure of being the sole breadwinner.
--> Nothing is said about the acceptance of single-parent families; also, this does not really support the passage´s main point

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3. Which of the following situations would the author most likely consider to be an example of adherence to the Cult of True Womanhood?
-->D

A. A woman works in a garment factory all day and then returns home to clean the house, bathe the children, and cook dinner for the family.
--> Eliminate: Women were not expected to work outside the home ("women were held to the highest standards of piety, purity, domesticity, and submissiveness")

B. A woman sacrifices the financial advantages of taking a job in a factory so that she can tend to the children and participate in church activities.
-- Eliminate.

C. A woman opens a tailoring service in her home so that she can contribute to the family’s income without having to work outside the house.
--> Women were not expected to contribute economically to the family´s situation.

D. A woman’s husband becomes overwhelmed with the pressure of providing for his wife and children and eventually abandons the family.
--> "Many men (...) over-performed the provider role at the expense of emotional intimacy with their wives and children; others refused the burden and abandoned their families."

E. A woman opens a child-care center, so that other women can work in factories and contribute to the economic upkeep of their families.
--> Eliminate.

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4. Which of the following best describes the organization of the passage?
--> D

A. A paradox is stated, discussed, and finally resolved.
B. Two opposing viewpoints are expressed and debated, with no resolution proffered.
C. A generalization is stated and then followed up by two points that support the generalization and one point that contradicts it.

D. A thesis is stated in the first paragraph and supported by subsequent paragraphs.
--> "Gender-based trends in labor are linked to the ever-changing concept of what constitutes work appropriate to women as distinct from that of men. This concept underwent a significant change during the evolution from the Colonial era..."
--> In the next paragraph it is supported by the "Doctrine of the Two Spheres" and in the subsequent paragraph by the "Cult of True Womanhood"

E. An argument is stated and then refuted by pointing out the flaw in the assumption of the original argument.
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5. The last paragraph performs which of the following functions in the passage?
--> B

A. It describes a social phenomenon that contrasts with a previously mentioned societal norm.
--> The Doctrine of the Two Spheres and the Cult of True Womanhood are quite alike

B. It offers an explanation for an observed change in gender perception.

C. It provides foreshadowing of a development that will be observed in the future.
--> The text is about the past

D. It refutes the dominant trend discussed in the preceding paragraph.
--> The Cult of True Womanhood supports the Doctrine of the Two Spheres

E. It introduces a social trend that serves to undermine the author’s thesis.
--> It supports the author´s thesis
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Please provide the official explanation to the questions, my answers to each are
E
B
D
D
B

Sajjad1994
I try to understand question no.4 but It is not quite easy.
Let me show you how I think.

Para1: described the Gender of women and men in several eras.
Para2: the work of women
Para3: the new concept of women working.



So I eliminate A, B, C, and E.
Finally, I choose the answer D.

Could you give me the OE?
_________________

Hi BenjaminS

I have edited the OA to question number 4 from B to D and I think D should be the answer. Great to raise the issue.

Good luck

Could someone please explain why option B is wrong for the third question?
Acc to the passage Women’s roles were both idealized and restricted; women were held to the highest standards of piety, purity, domesticity, and submissiveness.

please tell differene between B and D.

Option B states that a woman does not take a job and instead focuses on raising children and on the church. Option D states that a man becomes overwhelmed with family responsibilities and abandons them.
Option B is supported as women's focus is on family responsibilities and not on financial support while option D states that man left as he could not bear the burden (reason for this is given in the passage that man was supposed to be the sole provider for the family).
Both of these points are supported in the passage but I feel that option B has more ground.

all correct but took me 12 minutes. need to work on time management.

For question 1, how can the answer be E. It is indicated in the first paragraph itself like this: "Though the society of both eras was patriarchal, the pre-industrial women colonists enjoyed a degree of economic egalitarianism that would all but disappear with industrialization."

How can we say that the society became more patriarchal? This is not an inference question in order to infer. We need to provide an answer that best supports from the passage. This option is like inference as it says that society became more patriarchal.