Two divergent definitions have dominated sociologists' discussions of

Question

Two divergent definitions have dominated sociologists' discussions of the nature of ethnicity. The first emphasizes the primordial and unchanging character of ethnicity. In this view, people have an essential need for belonging that is satisfied by membership in groups based on shared ancestry and culture. A different conception of ethnicity de-emphasizes the cultural component and defines ethnic groups as interest groups. In this view, ethnicity serves as a way of mobilizing a certain population behind issues relating to its economic position. While both of these definitions are useful, neither fully captures the dynamic and changing aspects of ethnicity in the United States. Rather, ethnicity is more satisfactorily conceived of as a process in which preexisting communal bonds and common cultural attributes are adapted for instrumental purposes according to changing real-life situations.

One example of this process is the rise of participation by Native American people in the broader United States political system since the Civil Rights movement of the 1960's. Besides leading Native Americans to participate more actively in politics (the number of Native American legislative officeholders more than doubled), this movement also evoked increased interest in tribal history and traditional culture. Cultural and instrumental components of ethnicity are not mutually exclusive, but rather reinforce one another.

The Civil Rights movement also brought changes in the uses to which ethnicity was put by Mexican American people. In the 1960's, Mexican Americans formed community-based political groups that emphasized ancestral heritage as a way of mobilizing constituents. Such emerging issues as immigration and voting rights gave Mexican American advocacy groups the means by which to promote ethnic solidarity. Like European ethnic groups in the nineteenth-century United States, late-twentieth-century Mexican American leaders combined ethnic with contemporary civic symbols. In 1968 Henry Cisneros, then mayor of San Antonio, Texas, cited Mexican leader Benito Juarez as a model for Mexican Americans in their fight for contemporary civil rights. And every year, Mexican Americans celebrate  Cinco de Mayo  as fervently as many Irish American people embrace St. Patrick's Day (both are major holidays in the countries of origin), with both holidays having been reinvented in the context of the United States and linked to ideals, symbols, and heroes of the United States.   1 
 B 
 1. Which of the following best states the main idea of the passage?

(A) In their definitions of the nature of ethnicity, sociologists have underestimated the power of the primordial human need to belong.
(B) Ethnicity is best defined as a dynamic process that combines cultural components with shared political and economic interests.
(C) In the United States in the twentieth century, ethnic groups have begun to organize in order to further their political and economic interests.
(D) Ethnicity in the United States has been significantly changed by the Civil Rights movement.
(E) The two definitions of ethnicity that have dominated sociologists' discussions are incompatible and should be replaced by an entirely new approach.

2 
 D 
 2. Which of the following statements about the first two definitions of ethnicity discussed in the first paragraph is supported by the passage?

(A) One is supported primarily by sociologists, and the other is favored by members of ethnic groups.
(B) One emphasizes the political aspects of ethnicity, and the other focuses on the economic aspects.
(C) One is the result of analysis of United States populations, and the other is the result of analysis of European populations.
(D) One focuses more on the ancestral components of ethnicity than does the other.
(E) One focuses more on immigrant groups than does the other.

3 
 B 
 3. The author of the passage refers to Native American people in the second paragraph in order to provide an example of

(A) the ability of membership in groups based on shared ancestry and culture to satisfy an essential human need
(B) how ethnic feelings have both motivated and been strengthened by political activity
(C) how the Civil Rights movement can help promote solidarity among United States ethnic groups
(D) how participation in the political system has helped to improve a group's economic situation
(E) the benefits gained from renewed study of ethnic history and culture

4 
 D 
 4. The passage supports which of the following statements about the Mexican American community?

(A) In the 1960's the Mexican American community began to incorporate the customs of another ethnic group in the United States into the observation of its own ethnic holidays.
(B) In the 1960's Mexican American community groups promoted ethnic solidarity primarily in order to effect economic change.
(C) In the 1960's leaders of the Mexican American community concentrated their efforts on promoting a renaissance of ethnic history and culture.
(D) In the 1960's members of the Mexican American community were becoming increasingly concerned about the issue of voting rights.
(E) In the 1960's the Mexican American community had greater success in mobilizing constituents than did other ethnic groups in the United States.

5 
 D 
 5. Which of the following types of ethnic cultural expression is discussed in the passage?

(A) The retelling of traditional narratives
(B) The wearing of traditional clothing
(C) The playing of traditional music
(D) The celebration of traditional holidays
(E) The preparation of traditional cuisine

6 
 C 
 6. Information in the passage supports which of the following statements about many European ethnic groups in the nineteenth-century United States?

(A) They emphasized economic interests as a way of mobilizing constituents behind certain issues.
(B) They conceived of their own ethnicity as being primordial in nature.
(C) They created cultural traditions that fused United States symbols with those of their countries of origin.
(D) They de-emphasized the cultural components of their communities in favor of political interests.
(E) They organized formal community groups designed to promote a renaissance of ethnic history and culture.

7 
 A 
 7. The passage suggests that in 1968 Henry Cisneros most likely believed that

(A) many Mexican Americans would respond positively to the example of Benito Juárez
(B) many Mexican Americans were insufficiently educated in Mexican history
(C) the fight for civil rights in the United States had many strong parallels in both Mexican and Irish history
(D) the quickest way of organizing community-based groups was to emulate the tactics of Benito Juárez
(E) Mexican Americans should emulate the strategies of Native American political leaders

Poorvasha · Accepted Answer

Passage Map :
 Para 1 : Two definitions of the nature of ethnicity: 
1) based on ancestry and culture
2) based on ethnic groups being considered as interest groups
A third definition: ethnicity as a process in which preexisting communal bonds and common cultural attributes are adapted for instrumental purposes according to changing real-life situations.
 Para 2 : cities example of Native Americans (lays emphasis on ethnic feelings- participation in politics)
 Para 3 : Another example- Mexican Americans – (emphasizing on ancestral heritage). Combined ethnic and contemporary symbols

Questions

1. Which of the following best states the main idea of the passage?

(A) In their definitions of the nature of ethnicity, sociologists have underestimated the power of the primordial human need to belong. -  passage doesn't say that this has been underestimated

(B) Ethnicity is best defined as a dynamic process that combines cultural components with shared political and economic interests. -  Correct. the passage describes it as a dynamic process - combining political (US Example) and economic (interest groups) interests.
 
(C) In the United States in the twentieth century, ethnic groups have begun to organize in order to further their political and economic interests. -  United states case is given as example; passage as whole does not talk about this.
 
(D) Ethnicity in the United States has been significantly changed by the Civil Rights movement. -  Does not highlight this at all

(E) The two definitions of ethnicity that have dominated sociologists' discussions are incompatible and should be replaced by an entirely new approach. -  too strong, the author states a new dynamic approach that takes changes into account, is better but does suggest that the previous ones are incompatible, rather, it is stated that even these difinitions are useful but not as good as the dynamic one.

2. Which of the following statements about the first two definitions of ethnicity discussed in the first paragraph is supported by the passage?

(A) One is supported primarily by sociologists, and the other is favored by members of ethnic groups.

(B) One emphasizes the political aspects of ethnicity, and the other focuses on the economic aspects.

(C) One is the result of analysis of United States populations, and the other is the result of analysis of European populations.

(D)   One focuses more on the ancestral components of ethnicity than does the other .   - This can be directly inferred from the primary purpose.

(E) One focuses more on immigrant groups than does the other.

3. The author of the passage refers to Native American people in the second paragraph in order to provide an example of

(A) the ability of membership in groups based on shared ancestry and culture to satisfy an essential human need -  Though the political movement was based on a common ancestry that brought the natives together, there wasn't an essential need to satisfy.
 
(B) how ethnic feelings have both motivated and been strengthened by political activity -  correct.

(C) how the Civil Rights movement can help promote solidarity among United States ethnic groups -  CRM is mentioned in third para

(D) how participation in the political system has helped to improve a group's economic situation -  this example talks about ethnic feelings and not economic interest

(E) the benefits gained from renewed study of ethnic history and culture -  does not describe benefits described from STUDYING it

B

4. The passage supports which of the following statements about the Mexican American community?

(A) In the 1960's the Mexican American community began to incorporate the customs of another ethnic group in the United States into the observation of its own ethnic holidays. -  The passage states" " Mexican Americans celebrate  Cinco de Mayo  as fervently as many Irish American people embrace St. Patrick's Day (both are major holidays in the countries of origin), with both holidays having been reinvented in the context of the United States and linked to ideals, symbols, and heroes of the United States". Nowhere is it stated that the Mexican Americans (MAs) incorporated customs of another ethnic group into the observation of its own ethnic holidays. It just says that MAs celebrate the Mexican festival Cinco de Mayo in US in a form that has been reinvented in the context of US (this does not imply that they have adopted customs)
 
(B) In the 1960's Mexican American community groups promoted ethnic solidarity primarily in order to effect economic change. -  not mentioned.
 
(C) In the 1960's leaders of the Mexican American community concentrated their efforts on promoting a renaissance of ethnic history and culture. -  not mentioned and not even indirectly implied

(D) In the 1960's members of the Mexican American community were becoming increasingly concerned about the issue of voting rights. -  The passage states: "In the 1960's, Mexican Americans formed community-based political groups that emphasized ancestral heritage as a way of mobilizing constituents. Such emerging issues as immigration and voting rights gave Mexican American advocacy groups the means by which to promote ethnic solidarity". - The Mexican Americans used  emerging issues  such as voting right to emphasize ancestral heritage and promote ethnic solidarity. MAs concentrated on this emerging issue>> promoted ethnic solidarity to it>> means they brought together all people concerned about this and promoted ethnicity.
 
(E) In the 1960's the Mexican American community had greater success in mobilizing constituents than did other ethnic groups in the United States. -  no such comparison is talked about

D

5. Which of the following types of ethnic cultural expression is discussed in the passage?

(A) The retelling of traditional narratives

(B) The wearing of traditional clothing

(C) The playing of traditional music

(D) The celebration of traditional holidays -  last paragraph very clearly cites this; the others can be eliminated easily. 
 
(E) The preparation of traditional cuisine

D

6. Information in the passage supports which of the following statements about many European ethnic groups in the nineteenth-century United States?

The below statement from the passage is sufficient to guide us to the correct answer choice for this one:
  Like European ethnic groups in the nineteenth-century United States, late-twentieth-century Mexican American leaders combined ethnic with contemporary civic symbols

(A) They emphasized economic interests as a way of mobilizing constituents behind certain issues.

(B) They conceived of their own ethnicity as being primordial in nature.

(C) They created cultural traditions that fused United States symbols with those of their countries of origin.-  Correct. 
 
(D) They de-emphasized the cultural components of their communities in favor of political interests.

(E) They organized formal community groups designed to promote a renaissance of ethnic history and culture.

C

7. The passage suggests that in 1968 Henry Cisneros most likely believed that

Statement from the last para:  In 1968 Henry Cisneros, then mayor of San Antonio, Texas, cited Mexican leader Benito Juarez as  a model for Mexican Americans in their fight  for contemporary civil rights

(A) many Mexican Americans would respond positively to the example of Benito Juárez -  he cited Benito as a model for their fight means he believed that this model will be successful and will be perceived positively. If you suggest something, you believe that you are suggesting the correct thing and since you believe that it will be successful, you also tend to believe that your suggestion will be perceived positively.
 
(B) many Mexican Americans were insufficiently educated in Mexican history

(C) the fight for civil rights in the United States had many strong parallels in both Mexican and Irish history

(D) the quickest way of organizing community-based groups was to emulate the tactics of Benito Juárez

(E) Mexican Americans should emulate the strategies of Native American political leaders

GMATNinja · Answer

Question 3  
 
Recall precisely what question 3 is asking us:

Why  does the author offer Native American people as an example  in the second paragraph ?

As you point out, the author kicks off this paragraph by presenting Native American participation as an example of "preexisting communal bonds being adapted for instrumental purposes."

However, the rest of this paragraph is not simply providing an "example of the same," as you suggest. The second sentence is actually spelling out the inverse:

" Besides  leading Native Americans to participate more actively in politics...this movement  also evoked increased interest in tribal history and traditional culture ."

And the overall purpose of this second paragraph becomes clear in the very last sentence:

"Cultural and instrumental components of ethnicity are not mutually exclusive, but rather reinforce one another."

The point of paragraph 2 is that cultural and instrumental components of ethnicity function like a two-way street. Communal cultural attributes are adapted for instrumental purposes according to changing real-life situations, and instrumental actions lead to increased interest in traditional culture. They "are not mutually exclusive, but rather reinforce one another."

Now, let's look at (B) one more time:

The author is using the example of Native Americans as an example of this mutual reinforcement. That's why we keep (B).

OK, now let's revisit choice (A):

Your reasoning for keeping this choice is that the author "tries define ethnicity as a process in which communal bonds and common cultural bonds are adapted to meet a purpose which can help meeting some need or solve a real life problem for that ethnic group."

However, choice (A) does not refer to solving a real life problem for Native Americans. Choice (A) says that the author refers to Native Americans in order to exemplify the ability of membership in groups based on shared ancestry and culture  to satisfy an essential human need.

"Satisfy an essential human need" is not the same thing as "solve a real life problem." This distinction can be made simply based on the words themselves. But we can also tell that this choice is leading us down the wrong path by stepping back and recalling where the concept of "essential human need" fits into the structure of this passage:

The author uses paragraph 1 to introduce two divergent definitions regarding the nature of ethnicity. One emphasizes "an essential need for belonging," while the other emphasizes shared interest, such as economic position. The purpose of the first paragraph is to present the author's overall thesis: that neither of these definitions fully captures the dynamic and changing aspects of ethnicity in the U.S. 
  The purpose of paragraph 2, as clarified above, is NOT to show how cultural membership can satisfy an essential human need. That would put the author on one side of the "two divergent definitions" already presented, and we know that the author does not favor either side exclusively.

The purpose of paragraph 2, again, is to illustrate how cultural and instrumental components of ethnicity reinforce one another.

Choice (A) contradicts this purpose, and that's why we eliminate it.

I hope this helps!

teaserbae · Answer

AjiteshArun   carcass 
In Q1 E is wrong both the definition are compatible to some extent. am I correct ?
In Q4 I ended up choosing C though I can clearly see D is correct now. but I don't understand how C is wrong or a trap ?

AjiteshArun · Answer

1. Possibly. The passage mentions that both approaches are "divergent" and "different", but that doesn't necessarily mean that they are completely incompatible. I'd remove option E because: (a) the other two approaches are not particular important, and should not form most of the answer to a primary purpose question and (b) the author does not say that the other two approaches should be  replaced  (the author actually calls both of them "useful").

4. Option C says:

In the 1960's leaders of the Mexican American community concentrated their efforts on promoting a renaissance of ethnic history and culture.

This is the part of the passage that we are interested in:

In the 1960's,  Mexican Americans  formed community-based political groups that  emphasized ancestral heritage as a way of mobilizing constituents . Such emerging issues as immigration and voting rights gave Mexican American advocacy groups the means by which to promote ethnic solidarity. Like European ethnic groups in the nineteenth-century United States,  late-twentieth-century Mexican American leaders combined ethnic with contemporary civic symbols .

From this we can see three important things: (a) Mexican Americans (in general, as there is no mention of leaders) emphasized ancestral heritage as a way to mobilize constituents, (b) there is no support for the word  renaissance , and (c) the only mention of Mexican-American leaders is towards the end (they "combined ethnic with contemporary civic symbols").

MikeScarn · Answer

6. Information in the passage supports which of the following statements about many European ethnic groups in the nineteenth-century United States?

The below statement from the passage is all we need to answer this question:

(C)  They created cultural traditions that fused United States symbols with those of their countries of origin.

They didn't "  create  " cultural traditions! I was about to choose this answer, but I thought it was a trap because of the word   create  . In the passage, in the parenthesis, it clearly says that these holidays were "reinvented." So I thought this was a trap answer.

GMATNinja   SajjadAhmad   Am I overthinking this? Am I bringing my critical reasoning brain into RC and reading too critically?

(E)  They organized formal community groups designed to promote a renaissance of ethnic history and culture.

MikeScarn · Answer

(1) Which of the following best states the main idea of the passage? (A) In their definitions of the nature of ethnicity, sociologists have underestimated the power of the primordial human need to belong. (B) Ethnicity is best defined as a dynamic process that combines cultural components with shared political and economic interests. I missed this question because for some reason I always miss Primary Purpose questions

I thought "best defined" was pretty strong language. I think (B) could reasonably be implied, but "best defined" was a little too certain for my liking, so I eliminated it. (C) In the United States in the twentieth century, ethnic groups have begun to organize in order to further their political and economic interests. carcass SajjadAhmad GMATNinja Quick question for you guys, can we eliminate (C) purely on the verb tense of " have begun "? Since we are talking about the past, shouldn't this just be "began"? (D) Ethnicity in the United States has been significantly changed by the Civil Rights movement. (E) The two definitions of ethnicity that have dominated sociologists' discussions are incompatible and should be replaced by an entirely new approach.

Suryanshi · Answer

Can someone please explain how B is the right answer for Q3? 
 The ending line of first paragraph says "Rather, ethnicity is more satisfactorily conceived of as a process in which preexisting communal bonds and common cultural attributes are adapted for instrumental purposes according to changing real-life situations."

What I infer from this line is that author tries define ethinicity as a process in which communal bonds and common cultural bonds are adapted to meet a purpose which can help meeting some need or solve a real life problem for that ethinic group.

And then in second paragraph author goes on and provides the example of the same.
Thus, as per above inference A should be the correct answer.

For me, B is a clear elimination from every perspective. Please explain how B is infered from the passage.

shivangijaiswal · Answer

I ended up rejecting choice C because of the same reason. The word "created" seemed to be the wrong answer choice. I am not sure why this answer choice is correct as they did not "create" any cultural traditions..

GMATNinja · Answer

The US-infused St. Patrick's Day didn't exist before Irish Americans made it. So, while the holiday itself exists in Ireland, new traditions were created to link the holiday to the to ideals, symbols, and heroes of the United States. No tricks here -- even if the origins of such holidays existed already, European ethnic groups in the nineteenth-century United States created a new way of celebrating those holidays in the American context. Similarly, I might build off of the tradition of the birthday cake by building myself a birthday-cake fort and eating my way out of it every year on my birthday. Sure, I have built off of a tradition that already existed, but I have also created my own tradition.

I hope that helps!

mrkperfect · Answer

GMATNinja 
#GMATNinja

I want to know the explanation of Q6.

The answer is "C: They created cultural traditions that fused United States symbols with those of their countries of origin.".

But how can I infer "that fused cultural traditions that fused US ~ origin" by "Like European ethnic groups in the nineteenth-century United States, late-twentieth-century Mexican American leaders combined ethnic with contemporary civic symbols."?

I cannot infer from "Like European ethnic groups in the nineteenth-century United States, late-twentieth-century Mexican American leaders combined ethnic with contemporary civic symbols." to (C).

Thanks.

GMATNinja · Answer

Question 6 If you haven't already, try reviewing this post: https://gmatclub.com/forum/two-divergen ... l#p3385303. The last sentence of the passage is key: both holidays cited (Cinco de Mayo and St. Patrick's Day) were "REINVENTED in the context of the United States and linked to ideals, SYMBOLS, and heroes of the United States." So even though the holidays were born from traditions in the countries of origin, those traditions were fused with US symbols. The discussion of Cinco de Mayo is given as an example of how late-twentieth-century Mexican American leaders (like European ethnic groups in the nineteenth-century United States) combined ethnic (e.g. country of origin) with contemporary (US) civic symbols. So (C) works.

MoulikaSaxena · Answer

Why is option B in Q2 a bad choice?

GMATNinja · Answer

Question 2

Question 2 asks about the first two definitions of ethnicity discussed in the first paragraph.

The first view "emphasizes the primordial and unchanging character of ethnicity," stating that "people have an essential need for belonging that is satisfied by membership in groups based on shared ancestry and culture."

The second view "de-emphasizes the cultural component" of ethnicity, instead arguing that "ethnicity serves as a way of mobilizing a certain population behind issues relating to its economic position."

From this, we know that the first definition focuses on shared ancestry and culture, while the second focuses on economic positions.

Here's (B):

The second definition does focus on economic aspects of ethnicity. However, the first doesn't focus on the political aspects -- those are discussed later in the passage, when the author adds yet  another  definition to describe ethnicity in the United States.

(B) is out for question 2.

I hope that helps!

Nonbiryani · Answer

Hi,

I am a bit confused about why it can't be retelling of traditional narratives for Q5. While I do understand that they are clearly talking of celebration of holidays, they also refer to how they have reinvented those holidays in the context of their experiences in the US, so they are retelling their narrative, and celebrating the holiday. So that is also their way of cultural expression.

Thank you!

AjiteshArun · Answer

Hi Nonbiryani,

We should start with what a traditional narrative is. A traditional narrative is a story passed down from generation to generation. Although a holiday may involve the retelling of a traditional narrative, the passage doesn't mention anything like that.

VerbalBot · Answer

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Two divergent definitions have dominated sociologists' discussions of

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