Scholars working on the history of women in modern Ireland have in

Question

Scholars working on the history of women in modern Ireland have in general followed the lead of scholars of women’s history in other countries, concentrating their attention on the suffrage movement. In Ireland this movement peaked in the 1920s, coinciding with the emergence of the Irish state, and the interaction between the suffrage movement in Ireland and Ireland’s struggle for independence from Great Britain has been the subject of considerable analysis. From the exhilarating heights of the revolutionary period, the women’s movement in Ireland appears, not surprisingly, to have undergone a major decline: descriptions of women’s lives in independent Ireland provide a dreary litany of legislative restrictions on women’s rights.

Focusing on the revolutionary period, however, may have exaggerated both the status accorded Irish women in the early twentieth century and the repressive nature of the new Irish state. The women involved in the suffrage movement were a small, elite minority; the extent to which the movement engaged the wider female population remains unclear. Additionally, certain features of the lives of Irish women that were economically determined and that predated the foundation of the Irish state are often attributed to political factors associated with Irish independence. As a result, little account has been taken of real, if modest, gains made by Irish women in the 1930s in the realm of employment.

1. The passage is primarily concerned with

A. proposing the application of a general theory to a specific instance
B. reconciling two apparently inconsistent perspectives on an issue
C. identifying a shortcoming of a particular historical approach
D. criticizing attempts to reverse political gains made by a particular group
E. describing a critical development in the history of a movement

2. It can be inferred that the author of the passage would be most likely to include which of the following among those “features of the lives of Irish women" referred to in the highlighted text?

A. Legislative restrictions on women’s rights
B. Active participation in the suffrage movement
C. Increased social mobility
D. Limited access to wage labor
E. Lack of involvement in the independence movement

3. The existence of which of the following would most seriously undermine the author’s argument concerning the history of women in modern Ireland?

A. Parliamentary records documenting the existence of legal restrictions on Irish women’s rights during the early twentieth century
B. Membership records of Irish suffragist organizations showing substantial participation by working-class women
C. Diaries of an Irish suffragist detailing her involvement in the struggle for independence from Great Britain
D. Census data showing that the number of women of voting age in Ireland increased during the 1920s
E. Tax records indicating that the Irish middle class increased in size during the 1920s

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Show Answer Question #1

Official Answer

C

Show Answer Question #2

Official Answer

D

Show Answer Question #3

Official Answer

B

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JoeKan1234 · Accepted Answer

2. It can be inferred that the author of the passage would be most likely to include which of the following among those “features of the lives of Irish women" referred to in the highlighted text?

A. Legislative restrictions on women’s rights
B. Active participation in the suffrage movement
C. Increased social mobility
D. Limited access to wage labor
E. Lack of involvement in the independence movement

The author, by stating “features of the lives of Irish women", means that there is another factor, apart from the suffrage movement, that explains women's status. This factor, according to the passage, was  economically determined .

By POE, A, B amd E should be out immediately because they are related to the suffrage movement.

Then C vs D. 
The author concludes that little account had been taken of real, if modest, gains made by Irish women in the 1930s i n the realm of employment .

So D is the winner.

callingTardis · Answer

this explanation is great, this is how I solved. For those looking to understand the WHY deeply:

what the line means:  Some features of Irish women's lives were caused by broader economic realities rather than solely by the political transformation linked to independence. By mistakenly blaming these on political factors, scholars have overlooked modest improvements in women’s employment opportunities during the 1930s, which deserve recognition.

"Limited access to wage labor" refers to restricted opportunities for people, in this case, women, to participate in paid work outside the home. 
This economic factor just as well have been persistent before and after independence due to economic situations.

Harsh_ · Answer

Passage Structure
  Paragraph 1 (The Status Quo):  The author describes a specific historical approach. Scholars have focused heavily on the suffrage movement and the "decline" of women's rights after Irish independence. It sets the scene for what "most scholars" believe.

Paragraph 2 (The Critique):  This is where the author's voice comes in. They use words like "however" and "may have exaggerated" to signal a pivot. The author argues that by focusing only on suffrage and politics, scholars have:

Ignored the fact that the movement was only a "small, elite minority."

Wrongly attributed economic issues to political factors.

Overlooked "real, if modest, gains" in employment during the 1930s.

Question Analysis:  "The passage is primarily concerned with..."
 C. identifying a shortcoming of a particular historical approach
 
Why it’s correct: The "particular historical approach" is the scholars' focus on the suffrage movement. The "shortcoming" is that this focus leads to an exaggerated and incomplete view of history, missing the economic realities and employment gains the author mentions at the end.

Why the other options fail
A. proposing the application of a general theory: The author doesn't bring in a "general theory" (like Marxism or Structuralism) to apply to Ireland. They are critiquing specific historical interpretations.

B. reconciling two apparently inconsistent perspectives: This would mean the author is trying to find a middle ground between two groups of scholars. Instead, the author is directly challenging the prevailing group.

D. criticizing attempts to reverse political gains: This is a trap. While the passage mentions "legislative restrictions," the primary concern is how historians write about it, not the political acts themselves.

E. describing a critical development in the history of a movement: While the suffrage movement is mentioned, the passage spends more time talking about why focusing on that movement is a mistake. It's a meta-discussion about history, not just a description of the movement.

Scholars working on the history of women in modern Ireland have in

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Scholars working on the history of women in modern Ireland have in

Prep Toolkit

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

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

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Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards