Having spent several decades trying to eliminate the unself-conscious

Question

Having spent several decades trying to eliminate
the unself-conscious "colonial gaze" characteristic of
so many early ethnographic films, visual anthropologists
from the industrialized West who study indigenous
  (5)   cultures are presently struggling with an even more
profound transformation of their discipline. Because
inexpensive video equipment is now available
throughout the world, many indigenous peoples who
were once examined by the Western ethnographer 's
  (10)   camera have begun to document their own cultures.
Reaction to this phenomenon within Western
anthropological circles is sharply divided.

One faction, led by anthropologist James Weiner,
sees the proliferation of video and television as the
  (15)   final assault of Western values on indigenous cultures.
Weiner argues that the spread of video represents "a
devaluation of the different," culminating in the
replacement of genuine historical, linguistic, social,
and cultural difference with superficial difference
  (20)   among electronic images. He believes that video
technologies inevitably purvey a Western ontology,
one based on realism, immediacy, and self-expression.
Thus, Weiner concludes, using video technology costs
indigenous peoples the very cultural identity they seek
  (25)   to record. Moreover, he maintains that anthropologists
who attribute a paramount truth value to these films
simply because they are made by indigenous peoples
are theoretically naive.

But Weiner's opponents contend that his views
  (30)   betray a certain nostalgia for the idea of the "noble
savage." One such opponent, anthropologist
Faye Ginsburg, concedes that no Western object
that has entered cultural circulation since the
fifteenth century has been neutral, but she considers it
  (35)   little more than boilerplate technological determinism
to argue that using a video camera makes one unwittingly
Western. Unlike Weiner, Ginsburg maintains that
non-Western indigenous peoples can use Western
media without adopting the conventions of Western culture.
  (40)   In fact, Ginsburg and many other anthropologists
believe that video affords societies-especially oral
ones-an invaluable opportunity to strengthen native
languages and traditions threatened by Western exposure.

The Brazilian fieldwork of anthropologist
  (45)   Terence Turner, who studies the relationship between
traditional Kayapo culture and Kayapo videotapes,
lends credence to Ginsburg's position. Primarily an
oral society, the Kayapo use video to document both
ceremonial perfonnances and transactions with
  (50)   representatives of the Brazilian government (this latter
use is intended to provide legally binding records of
the transactions). In contrast to Weiner's argument
that video foists a Western ontology onto its users,
Turner has found that the representations of Kayapo
  (55)   ceremonies, including everything from the camera
work to the editing, conform to the same principle of beauty
embodied in the ceremonies themselves, one rooted in
a complex pattern ofrepetition and sequential
organization. The videos aesthetically mirror the
  (60)   ceremonies. The camera is not so at odds with
Kayapo culture, it seems, that it transforms any
Kayapo who uses it into a Westerner.    1 
 1. Which one of the following most accurately and completely summarizes the passage?

(A) Some anthropologists argue that the proliferation of video technology has been harmful to indigenous peoples because it encourages the adoption of a Western ontology based on immediacy and self-expression.
(B) By making video technology available to indigenous peoples throughout the world, anthropologists have succeeded in eliminating the "colonial gaze" that many early ethnographic films exhibited.
(C) Anthropologists are divided in their assessments of the impact of video technology on indigenous peoples, but there is some evidence that video technology is compatible with the preservation of indigenous cultures.
(D) Some anthropologists argue that the proliferation of video technology has actually strengthened indigenous cultures threatened by Western influences, but the long-term impact of video technology on indigenous cultures is still unknown.
(E) The Kayapo people's use of video technology validates the position of one faction in the debate in anthropological circles regarding the effect of the proliferation of Western video technology on indigenous cultures.

2 
 2. Based on the passage, which one of the following most accurately describes Faye Ginsburg's stance toward the position attributed to James Weiner?

(A) fundamental rejection
(B) reluctant censure
(C) mild disapproval
(D) diplomatic neutrality
(E) supportive interest

3 
 3. Which one of the following is most analogous to the Kayapo 's use of video to document ceremonial perfonnances, as that use is described in the last paragraph?

(A) As various groups have emigrated to North America. they have brought their culinary traditions with them and thereby altered the culinary practices of North America.
(B) In the 1940s, Latin American composers incorporated African American inspired jazz instrumentation and harmonies into their music but remained faithful to the traditions of Latin American music.
(C) Some writers are predicting that the interactive nature of the Internet will fundamentally reshape fiction, and they are already producing narratives that take advantage of this capacity.
(D) In the late 1980s. some fashion designers produced lines of various articles of clothing that imitated fashions that were current in the 1920s and 1930s.
(E) Early in the twentieth century, some experimental European artists rejected the representational traditions of Western painting and began to produce works inspired by surrealist literature.

4 
 4. According to the passage, Weiner claims that an essential characteristic of Western ontology is

(A) a pattern of sequential organization
(B) paramount truth value
(C) self-expression
(D) the "colonial gaze"
(E) theoretical naivete

5 
 5. The passage provides information that is most helpful in answering which one of the following questions?

(A) Why do the Kayapo use video technology to create legal records?
(B) What is the origin of the idea of the "noble savage'"?
(C) Which indigenous cultures have not yet adopted Western video technologies?
(D) Which Western technologies entered cultural circulation in the fifteenth century?
(E) What factors have made video equipment as inexpensive as it now is?

6 
 6. Terence Turner would be most likely to agree with which one of the following assessments of Weiner's position regarding the spread of video?

(A) Weiner fails to recognize the vast diversity of traditional practices among the world's indigenous peoples.
(B) Weiner overestimates the extent to which video technology has become available throughout the world.
(C) Wcincr does not fully recognize the value of preserving the traditional practices of indigenous peoples.
(D) Weiner underestimates indigenous peoples' capacity for adapting the products of alien cultures to fit their own cultural values.
(E) Weiner ignores the fact that, even before the spread of video, many Western technologies had already been adapted by indigenous cultures.

7 
 7. In using the phrase "technological determinism" (line 35), the author refers to the idea that

(A) technology is exchanged in ways that appear to be predestined
(B) the technologies used by field anthropologists influence their views of the cultures they study 
(C) cultures generally evolve in the direction of greater dependence on technology
(D) a culture's ethical values determine its reaction to new technologies
(E) cultures are shaped in fundamental ways by the technologies they use

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

7. In using the phrase "technological determinism" (line 35), the author refers to the idea that

Explanation

The question is asking what the author means by  “technological determinism.”  The correct answer will be directly supported by the author’s discussion in the third paragraph.

A. No.  There is no discussion of an exchange of technology.

B. No.  The passage discusses use of technology by indigenous peoples rather than by anthropologists.

C. No.  The passage does not argue that there is a dependence on technology.

D. No.  The passage does not discuss ethical values.

E.  Yes.   Ginsburg argues that technology does not shape culture, which is unlike Weiner’s view.

Answer: E

johnnymbikes · Answer

Question 2 fell for the trap by clicking on "C" instead of "A"

2. Based on the passage, which one of the following most accurately describes Faye Ginsburg's stance toward the position attributed to James Weiner?

(A) fundamental rejection
(B) reluctant censure
(C) mild disapproval
(D) diplomatic neutrality
(E) supportive interest

FG first "conceded" = admit something is true after first denying it = makes it sound like it was a mild disapproval. 
But later on in the paragraph there are sharper and more defining words such as "Unlike" (38) and "In fact ..." (40) which shows that FG overall rejects JW's views.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

5. The passage provides information that is most helpful in answering which one of the following questions?

(A) Why do the Kayapo use video technology to create legal records?  
The passage explicitly states that Kayapo videotape transactions with Brazilian government representatives  “to provide legally binding records of the transactions.”  This is directly answered.

(B) What is the origin of the idea of the "noble savage"? 
The passage only mentions  “noble savage”  as a concept Weiner’s opponents accuse him of being nostalgic for; no origin is discussed.

(C) Which indigenous cultures have not yet adopted Western video technologies? 
The passage doesn’t list any such cultures; it just says many have started using video.

(D) Which Western technologies entered cultural circulation in the fifteenth century? 
Ginsburg’s remark is a generalization; no specific technologies from that period are named.

(E) What factors have made video equipment as inexpensive as it now is? 
The passage just states inexpensive video equipment is now available; it doesn’t explain why.

Hence, only question  (A)  is directly answered by information provided in the passage.

Answer: A

Having spent several decades trying to eliminate the unself-conscious

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards

GMAT Reading Comprehension (RC) Questions

Having spent several decades trying to eliminate the unself-conscious

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards