In 1675, Louis XIV established the Parisian seamstresses’ guild, the f

Question

In 1675, Louis XIV established the Parisian seamstresses’ guild, the first independent all-female guild created in over 200 years. Guild members could make and sell women’s and children’s clothing, but were prohibited from producing men’s clothing or dresses for court women. Tailors resented the ascension of seamstresses to guild status; seamstresses, meanwhile, were impatient with the remaining restrictions on their right to clothe women.

The conflict between the guilds was not purely economic, however. A 1675 police report indicated that since so many seamstresses were already working illegally, the tailors were unlikely to suffer additional economic damage because of the seamstresses’ incorporation. Moreover, guild membership held very different meanings for tailors and seamstresses. To the tailors, their status as guild members overlapped with their role as heads of household, and entitled them to employ as seamstresses female family members who did not marry outside the trade. The seamstresses, however, viewed guild membership as a  mark of independence from the patriarchal family . Their guild was composed not of family units but of individual women who enjoyed unusual legal and economic privileges. At the conflict’s center was the issue of whether tailors’ female relatives should be identified as family members protected by the tailors’ guild or as individuals under the jurisdiction of the seamstresses’ guild.   1 
 B 
1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

A. outline a scholarly debate over the impact of the Parisian seamstresses’ guild

B. summarize sources of conflict between the newly created Parisian seamstresses’ guild and the tailors’ guild

C. describe opposing views concerning the origins of the Parisian seamstresses’ guild

D. explore the underlying reasons for establishing an exclusively female guild in seventeenth-century Paris

E. correct a misconception about changes in seamstresses’ economic status that took place in Paris in the late seventeenth century

2 
 A 
2. According to the passage, one source of dissatisfaction for Parisian seamstresses after the establishment of the seamstresses’ guild was that

A. seamstresses were not allowed to make and sell clothing for all women

B. tailors continued to have the exclusive legal right to clothe men

C. seamstresses who were relatives of tailors were prevented from becoming members of the seamstresses’ guild

D. rivalry between individual seamstresses increased, thus hindering their ability to compete with the tailors for business

E. seamstresses were not allowed to accept male tailors as members of the guild

3 
 D 
3. It can be inferred from the passage that which of the following was true of seamstresses employed by relatives who were members of the tailors’ guild?

A. They were instrumental in convincing Louis XIV to establish the seamstresses’ guild.

B. They were rarely allowed to assist master tailors in the production of men’s clothing.

C. They were considered by some tailors to be a threat to the tailors’ monopoly.

D. They did not enjoy the same economic and legal privileges that members of the seamstresses’ guild enjoyed.

E. They felt their status as working women gave them a certain degree of independence from the patriarchal family.

4 
 A 
4. The author mentions the seamstresses’ view of guild membership as a “ mark of independence from the patriarchal family ” (lines 40-41) primarily in order to

A. emphasize that the establishment of the seamstresses’ guild had implications that were not solely economic

B. illustrate the conflict that existed between tailors and their female family members over membership in the tailors’ guild

C. imply that the establishment of the seamstresses’ guild ushered in a period of increased economic and social freedom for women in France

D. provide an explanation for the dramatic increase in the number of women working as seamstresses after 1675

E. indicate that members of the seamstresses’ guild were financially more successful than were tailors’ female relatives protected by the tailors’ guild

plumber250 · Accepted Answer

Hi, Let me see if I can explain...

A only mentions the Seamstresses, NOT the tailors, but if you look at the passage it talks about both equally.

So the passage overall is talking about how the 2 guilds interacted and were the same/different. This is B.

I hope that makes sense..

James

GMATNinja · Answer

Passage breakdown 
In the first paragraph (P1), the author  describes some economic sources of tension between two groups :

Louis XIV created the first independent all-female guild created in over 200 years: the Parisian seamstresses’ guild. 
 Tension arose between tailors and seamstresses.

In the second paragraph, the author  describes additional sources of tension between the two groups :

The conflict was not purely economic, but also stemmed from social factors such as family relationships.

For more on this process, check out  this article  and  our live RC videos .

Explanations for individual questions 
 
  Question 1  
  Question 3  
  Question 4

eybrj2 · Answer

OA is bada.

I don't understnad the question 18.
After checking the answer, I kind of sensed why d could be the answer, but still cannot see why clearly.

This is my guess.

Even though family members who were employed by tailors did the same jobs as seamstresses, those family memebers were considered or treated differently, so there was a conflict or confusion about the identity of the family members.

Based upon this assumption or guess, I could conclude that the family members did not enjoy the same economic and legal~(same as d)

Please, help me understand.

gmatfighter12 · Answer

16b
17a
18d
19e

Done in 4 min.

As for 1 B I believe the last sentence said it all 
"At the conflict's center was the issue of whether tailors' female relatives should be identified as family members protected by the tailors' guild or as individuals under the jurisdiction of the seamstresses' guild. "

The paragraph evolved around the conflict btw 2 guilds

Got wrong in #19.

aj33 · Answer

Hi Soumya. The passage says that ''At the conflictâ€™s center was the issue of whether tailorsâ€™ female relatives should be identified as family members protected by the tailorsâ€™ guild or as individuals under the jurisdiction of the seamstressesâ€™ guild." This can be considered for not enjoying economic status.there was a doubt that whether they were protected or were individuals.. Also, the other 4 options can be removed by elimination. A: there is no mention of convincing. B-passage does not say relatives were for men's clothing same with c and e no mention of monopoly. seamstress guild got independence and relatives did not.. relatives after joining the guild might have got independence, but that is not sure. PS: This is my logic anyone with better logic .please let me know. I am also trying to get better every day..

JarvisR · Answer

Time taken 8 mins.

Q18:

It can be inferred from the passage that which of the following was true of seamstresses employed by relatives who were members of the tailors' guild? 
A. They were instrumental in convincing Louis XIV to establish the seamstresses' guild. 
B. They were rarely allowed to assist master tailors in the production of men's clothing. 
C. They were considered by some tailors to be a threat to the tailors' monopoly. 
D. They did not enjoy the same economic and legal privileges that members of the seamstresses' guild enjoyed. 
 >>The seamstresses, however, viewed .... Their guild was composed not of family units but of individual women who enjoyed unusual legal and economic privileges. 
 E. They felt their status as working women gave them  a certain degree  of independence from the patriarchal family.

Q19:

The author mentions the seamstresses' view of guild membership as a "mark of independence from the patriarchal family" (lines 40-41) primarily in order to 
A. emphasize that the establishment of the seamstresses' guild had implications that were not solely economic 
 >>The conflict between the guilds was not purely economic, however. .....
Moreover, guild membership held very different meanings for tailors and seamstresses. To the tailors, ..... The seamstresses, however, ..........
 B. illustrate the conflict that existed between tailors and their female family members over membership in the tailors' guild 
>> Conflict was between 2 guilds and not the family members. Each has their own view/ perspective.
Any other suggestion to rule this out.
C. imply that the establishment of the seamstresses' guild ushered in a period of increased economic and social freedom for women in France 
D. provide an explanation for the dramatic increase in the number of women working as seamstresses after 1675 
E. indicate that members of the seamstresses' guild were financially more successful than were tailors' female relatives protected by the tailors' guild

Lucky2783 · Answer

difficult passage. took 10mins.
B,A,D,A are my answers .
it is missing one question out of 4, which is as follows :

The author mentions the seamstresses' view of guild membership as a "mark of independence from the patriarchal family" primarily in order to
A. emphasize that the establishment of the seamstresses' guild had implications that were not solely economic
B. illustrate the conflict that existed between tailors and their female family members over membership in the tailors' guild
C. imply that the establishment of the seamstresses' guild ushered in a period of increased economic and social freedom for women in France
D. provide an explanation for the dramatic increase in the number of women working as seamstresses after 1675
E. indicate that members of the seamstresses' guild were financially more successful than were tailors' female relatives protected by the tailors' guild

Kurtosis · Answer

6 min 35 secs: Got the first question wrong.

2) According to the passage, one source of dissatisfaction for Parisian seamstresses after the establishment of the seamstresses’ guild was that

Refer to "Guild members could make and sell women’s and children’s clothing,  but were prohibited from producing men’s clothing or dresses for court women .Tailors resented the ascension of seamstresses to guild status;  seamstresses, meanwhile, were impatient with the remaining restrictions on their right to clothe women ."

Answer: A

3) It can be inferred from the passage that which of the following was true of seamstresses employed by relatives who were members of the tailors’ guild?

Refer to "At the conflict’s center was the issue of whether tailors’ female relatives should be identified as family members protected by the tailors’ guild or as individuals under the jurisdiction of the seamstresses’ guild."

Answer: D. Other choices cannot be inferred. Choice E is stated in the passage and is not an inference.

4) The author mentions the seamstresses’ view of guild membership as a “mark of independence from thepatriarchal family” primarily in order to

4) The author mentions the seamstresses’ view of guild membership as a “mark of independence from thepatriarchal family” primarily in order to
A. emphasize that the establishment of the seamstresses’ guild had implications that were not solely economic - Correct
B. illustrate the conflict that existed between tailors and their female family members over membership in the tailors’ guild - Incorrect - No conflict between tailors guild and female family members has been illustrated in the passage.
C. imply that the establishment of the seamstresses’ guild ushered in a period of increased economic and social freedom for women in France - Incorrect - France? Out of scope
D. provide an explanation for the dramatic increase in the number of women working as seamstresses after 1675 - Incorrect - We have no information to support the increase in number of women.
E. indicate that members of the seamstresses’ guild were financially more successful than were tailors’ female relatives protected by the tailors’ guild - Incorrect - Out of context.

Answer: A

Skywalker18 · Answer

Difficult passage , took 9 mins in total , including almost 4 mins to read . All correct though .
1. The primary purpose of the passage is to
B. summarize sources of conflict between the newly created Parisian seamstresses’ guild and the tailors’ guild -- Correct --

2. According to the passage, one source of dissatisfaction for Parisian seamstresses after the establishment of the seamstresses’ guild was that --Tailors resented the ascension of seamstresses to guild status;  seamstresses, meanwhile, were impatient with the remaining restrictions on their right to clothe women.
 
A. seamstresses were not allowed to make and sell clothing for all women

3. It can be inferred from the passage that which of the following was true of seamstresses employed by relatives who were members of the tailors’ guild?
D. They did not enjoy the same economic and legal privileges that members of the seamstresses’ guild enjoyed.

To the tailors, their status as guild members overlapped with their role as heads of household, and entitled them to employ as seamstresses female family members who did not marry outside the trade. The seamstresses,  however,  viewed guild membership as a mark of independence from the patriarchal family.

4. The author mentions the seamstresses’ view of guild membership as a “ mark of independence from the patriarchal family ” (lines 40-41) primarily in order to

A. emphasize that the establishment of the seamstresses’ guild had implications that were not solely economic - Correct

oasis90 · Answer

Can you please explain question 3? How can D be inferred? I know that family member seamstresses were not heads of households but its a bit of a stretch to conclude that they did not enjoy certain economic and legal status

GMATNinja · Answer

Question 3

Let’s take a closer look at question #3:

In order to be confident in our answer, we must confirm that it's the best of all five choices, so let's take a look at each one:

At no point in the passage does the author reveal who convinced Louis XIV to establish this guild. Eliminate choice (A).

"They" in this statement are "seamstresses employed by relatives who were members of the tailors' guild." We know that seamstress guild members could not produce any men's clothing, but there's no evidence of any such restriction on  non-guild seamstresses , who were employable by male family members in the tailors' guild. Eliminate choice (B).

Again, a less precise reader might mistake "They" for "seamstress guild members" in this statement. However, we know that familial non-guild seamstresses were part of the labor force employed by  tailors . We also are told explicitly that "Tailors resented the ascension of seamstresses  to guild status ." We know that tailors felt threatened by seamstress guild members, but don't see anything to suggest they were threatened by their own employees. Eliminate choice (C).

"They" still means "seamstresses employed by relatives who were members of the tailors' guild." We must confirm that seamstresses  employed by relatives who were members of the tailors guild  did   not   enjoy the same economic and legal privileges as seamstresses  who were members of the seamstress guild . Here's where the passage spells out this contrast:

"The seamstresses, however,  viewed guild membership as a mark of independence  from the patriarchal family. Their guild was composed not of family units but of individual women who enjoyed  unusual legal and economic privileges ."

This tells us that seamstress guild members enjoyed unusual legal and economic privileges (those that came with being protected as individuals, independent of their patriarchal family units). Guild seamstresses and non-guild seamstresses alike viewed guild membership as a mark of independence, but only guild seamstresses enjoyed this privilege. That's a solid inference, so (D) looks good.

Since we know that "They" does not refer to seamstress guild members, we know that this can't be inferred from the passage. Eliminate choice (E), and we’re left with (D) as by far our best answer choice.

mallya12 · Answer

Q4) why option C is wrong? "..women who enjoyed unusual legal and economic privileges." So with seamstresses’ guild, woman enjoyed legal and economic privileges.

Q1) Explain the meaning of answer choice A and B. what does it mean by sources of conflicts??

GMATNinja · Answer

Question #1 asks us to identify the primary purpose of the passage. Let's take a look at answer choices (A) and (B):
 
A "scholarly debate" requires at least two competing ideas from some kind of academic or research-based viewpoint. This passage does not contain that kind of debate -- instead, the author presents only his or her own research findings about the seamstresses' guild. (A) is out.

In the first sentence of the passage, the author states that Louis XIV established the seamstresses' guild. After that, the author focuses closely on the conflicts between the seamstresses' guild and the tailors' guild. The "sources of conflict" between the two groups include the tailors' resentment that women were given guild status, the seamstresses' impatience with restrictions on their work, and "the issue of whether tailors’ female relatives should be identified as family members protected by the tailors’ guild or as individuals under the jurisdiction of the seamstresses’ guild."

Another way of thinking about "primary purpose" questions is to ask, "why did the author write this passage?" In this case, the author wanted to explain the conflicts that arose between seamstresses and tailors when the seamstresses' guild was established. Answer choice (B) captures this purpose, and is the correct answer to question #1.

Let's take a look at question #4:
 
And here is answer choice (C):
 
By saying that  "women in France"  enjoyed increased freedoms, this answer choice makes a much broader claim than can be supported by the passage. It may be true that women  in the seamstresses' guild  experienced increased economic and social freedoms, but we cannot expand that to argue that French women in general enjoyed these freedoms. You can eliminate (C) for question #4.

I hope this helps!

LoneSurvivor · Answer

Knowing the meaning of  guild  and  seamstress  will help to understand the passage and answer the Question.

guild    an association of people for mutual aid or the pursuit of a common goal. 
 seamstress   a woman who sews, especially one who earns her living by sewing.

Sumi1010 · Answer

Can someone help me understand how the answer to   4. The author mentions the seamstresses’ view of guild membership as a “mark of independence from the patriarchal family” (lines 40-41) primarily in order to  is A ?

My understanding : 
Seamstresses' guild (SG - women only) has conflicts with tailor's guild (TG - men + women) for factors more than economic reasons. 
TG's women did not view anything from guild membership; SG's women viewed guild membership as a mark of  independence from the patriarchal family.

So, “mark of independence from the patriarchal family” is to show the view of SG's women and NOT to mention that the cause of conflict is beyond economic reasons. 
Hence,  A  does not seem correct for me. 
I went on opting C but I know it's wrong. A view/feeling of independence may not be the fact too (can mere be a view)

mSKR · Answer

At the conflict’s center was the issue of whether tailors’ female relatives should be identified as family members protected by the tailors’ guild or as individuals under the jurisdiction of the seamstresses’ guild.

Why not A? the debat started after the establishment of Parisian seamstresses’ guild

the summary is only in the end. But in the passage they have discussed reasons for it.

GMATNinja

GMATNinja · Answer

Question 1 
 
This passage tells us about the origin of the Parisian seamstresses' guild before launching into a discussion about the seamstresses' guild's conflict tailors' guild.

Let's take a closer look at (A) to see why it doesn't give the primary purpose of the passage:
 
For this passage to  outline a scholarly debate , we'd expect to see some mention of a researcher or the results from an investigation from multiple scholars. The results from these scholars' work would be compared to give us some idea of the nature of the debate.

This passage does not have any of these things -- there is no mention of scholarly debate.

We're given information about the conflict  between the two guilds , but no information about a possible scholarly debate over the impact of the seamstresses' guild. For this reason, (A) cannot be the answer to this question.

Compare this to (B):
 
The start of the second paragraph tells us:

"The conflict between the guilds was not purely economic"

Later in the paragraph, we're told:

"guild membership held very different meanings for tailors and seamstresses"

The end of the paragraph gives the summary you quote:

"At the conflict’s center was the issue of whether tailors’ female relatives should be identified as family members protected by the tailors’ guild or as individuals under the jurisdiction of the seamstresses’ guild."

This tells us the  reasons  for the conflict between the two guilds. We're given this summary of the underlying reasons, or the sources, for the disagreement in the second paragraph. This is why (B) is the answer to this question.

I hope that helps!

Nimabinia · Answer

Hey, I felt this passage is very vague and confusing, maybe it is just the natural of the difficult passage. The conflict between guilds was introduced in the second paragraph. To be honest with you, I didn't even now tailor even have a guild until the very end. Then you can go back to the starting sentence of the paragraph, realizing the comparison is between tailor's guild and seamstresses' guild. 
Does anyone have the similar impression? 
Let me know.

rbaral · Answer

What is the difficulty level of this question ?

In 1675, Louis XIV established the Parisian seamstresses’ guild, the f

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In 1675, Louis XIV established the Parisian seamstresses’ guild, the f

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