Two modes of argumentation have been used on behalf of womens

Question

Two modes of argumentation have been used on behalf of women’s emancipation in Western societies. Arguments in what could be called the “relational” feminist tradition maintain the doctrine of “equality in difference,” or equity as distinct from equality. They posit that biological distinctions between the sexes result in a necessary sexual division of labor in the family and throughout society and that women’s procreative labor is currently undervalued by society, to the disadvantage of women. By contrast, the individualist feminist tradition emphasizes individual human rights and celebrates women’s quest for personal autonomy, while downplaying the importance of gender roles and minimizing discussion of childbearing and its attendant responsibilities.

Before the late nineteenth century, these views coexisted within the feminist movement, often within the writings of the same individual. Between 1890 and 1920, however, relational feminism, which had been the dominant strain in feminist thought, and which still predominates among European and non-Western feminists, lost ground in England and the United States. Because the concept of individual rights was already well established in the Anglo-Saxon legal and political tradition, individualist feminism came to predominate in English-speaking countries. At the same time, the goals of the two approaches began to seem increasingly irreconcilable. Individualist feminists began to advocate a totally gender-blind system with equal rights for all. Relational feminists, while agreeing that equal educational and economic opportunities outside the home should be available for all women, continued to emphasize women’s special contributions to society as homemakers and mothers; they demanded special treatment for women, including protective legislation for women workers, state-sponsored maternity benefits, and paid compensation for housework.

Relational arguments have a major pitfall: because they underline women’s physiological and psychological distinctiveness, they are often appropriated by political adversaries and used to endorse male privilege. But the individualist approach, by attacking gender roles, denying the significance of physiological difference, and condemning existing familial institutions as hopelessly patriarchal, has often simply treated as irrelevant the family roles important to many women. If the individualist framework, with its claim for women’s autonomy, could be harmonized with the family-oriented concerns of relational feminists, a more fruitful model for contemporary feminist politics could emerge.   1 
 1. The author of the passage alludes to the well-established nature of the concept of individual rights in the Anglo-Saxon legal and political tradition in order to

(A) illustrate the influence of individualist feminist thought on more general intellectual trends in English history
(B) argue that feminism was already a part of the larger Anglo-Saxon intellectual tradition, even though this has often gone unnoticed by critics of women’s emancipation
(C) explain the decline in individualist thinking among feminists in non-English-speaking countries
(D) help account for an increasing shift toward individualist feminism among feminists in English-speaking countries
(E) account for the philosophical differences between individualist and relational feminists in English-speaking countries

2 
 2. The passage suggests that the author of the passage believes which of the following?

(A) The predominance of individualist feminism in English-speaking countries is a historical phenomenon, the causes of which have not yet been investigated.
(B) The individualist and relational feminist views are irreconcilable, given their theoretical differences concerning the foundations of society.
(C) A consensus concerning the direction of future feminist politics will probably soon emerge, given the awareness among feminists of the need for cooperation among women.
(D) Political adversaries of feminism often misuse arguments predicated on differences between the sexes to argue that the existing social system should be maintained.
(E) Relational feminism provides the best theoretical framework for contemporary feminist politics, but individualist feminism could contribute much toward refining and strengthening modern feminist thought.

3 
 3. It can be inferred from the passage that the individualist feminist tradition denies the validity of which of the following causal statements?

(A) A division of labor in a social group can result in increased efficiency with regard to the performance of group tasks.
(B) A division of labor in a social group causes inequities in the distribution of opportunities and benefits among group members.
(C) A division of labor on the basis of gender in a social group is necessitated by the existence of sex-linked biological differences between male and female members of the group.
(D) Culturally determined distinctions based on gender in a social group foster the existence of differing attitudes and opinions among group members.
(E) Educational programs aimed at reducing inequalities based on gender among members of a social group can result in a sense of greater well-being for all members of the group.

4 
 4. According to the passage, relational feminists and individualist feminists agree that

(A) individual human rights take precedence over most other social claims
(B) the gender-based division of labor in society should be eliminated
(C) laws guaranteeing equal treatment for all citizens regardless of gender should be passed
(D) a greater degree of social awareness concerning the importance of motherhood would be beneficial to society
(E) the same educational and economic opportunities should be available to both sexes

5 
 5. According to the author, which of the following was true of feminist thought in Western societies before 1890?

(A) Individualist feminist arguments were not found in the thought or writing of non-English-speaking feminists.
(B) Individualist feminism was a strain in feminist thought, but another strain, relational feminism, predominated.
(C) Relational and individualist approaches were equally prevalent in feminist thought and writing.
(D) The predominant view among feminists held that the welfare of women was ultimately less important than the welfare of children.
(E) The predominant view among feminists held that the sexes should receive equal treatment under the law.

6 
 6. The author implies that which of the following was true of most feminist thinkers in England and the United States after 1920?

(A) They were less concerned with politics than with intellectual issues.
(B) They began to reach a broader audience and their programs began to be adopted by mainstream political parties.
(C) They called repeatedly for international cooperation among women’s groups to achieve their goals.
(D) They moderated their initial criticism of the economic systems that characterized their societies.
(E) They did not attempt to unite the two different feminist approaches in their thought

margaretgmat · Accepted Answer

Blue Book RC p.52

85. The author hints to the well-established nature of the concept of indiv. rights in the Anglo-Saxon legal and political tradition in order to... 
Catch your eye: Anglo-Saxon...
Go to: Line 24-28- Because the concept of individual rights was already well established in the Anglo Saxon legal and political tradition, individualist feminism came to predominate in English-speaking countries. 
Answer: Relating to the second part of the sentence.

86. The author believes...
Go through answer choices.
Not A: ... is a historical phenomenon, causes of which have not yet been investigated. Passage states none of this.
Had B, but not B: The indiv. and relational feminist views are irreconcilable. Are irreconcilable is not the same as increasingly irreconcilable. 
Not C: An agreement will probably soon emerge, given ... the need for cooperation among women. Could emerge not the same as will probably soon emerge and further, passage did not state that cooperation among women is needed for the emergence, but the framework of indiv. and relational feminism.
It's D: Political opponents often assert the argument by relational feminism to endorse male privilege, which is the existing system. Read 3rd para. 1st sentence., the sentence structure is similar, too.
E: Relational feminism provides the best theory bla bla bla. Best? Not at all, the passage weighs both argumentation modes equally and not saying that one or the other is an absolute best.

87. Indiv. feminist trad. denies the validity of...
Go through answer choices: 3-2 split, read D and E will quickly tell you that none of those is discussed in the passage. Division of labor is found in the 1st para. 3rd sentence.
Not A: ... efficiency wrt performance of group tasks. Incorrect.
Not B: ... distribution of opp. and benefits. Incorrect. 
It's C: ... biological differences between male and female. Exactly!

88. Relational and indiv. feminists agree that...
Go to: 2nd half of 2nd. para. It starts to discuss about and these phrases should catch your eye: "goals of the two approaches" and "while agreeing".
Not A: Indiv. human rights over other social claims. Not discussed in passage.
Had B, not B: Division of labor agreed by relational, but not by indiv. and passage did not talk about elimination.
Not C: Laws guaranteeing for all citizens... passage talks about women.
Not D: ... motherhood... agreed by relational, not indiv. feminism.
It's E: While agreeing that equal edu. and eco. opp should be available... Exactly!

89. Which was true of feminist thought in West before 1980...
Go to: 1st half of 2nd para. look for the sentence relating to feminist thought.
Not A: ... were not found in the thought or writing. Incorrect.
It's B: Relational feminism had been the dominant strain = relational feminism predominated.
Not C: Approaches were equally accepted. Not true, it is not equal, relational dominates region X, indiv. dominates region Y. Extent/size of X and Y are different.
Not D: welfare of women ... welfare of children. Not discussed in the passage.
Not E: Sexes should receive equal treatment, but not talked around the area of 1st half of 2nd para. It could be after 1920..., B is on the spot!

90. True of most feminist thinkers in England and US after 1920...
Go to 2nd para where it talked about the years: "before late 19th" and "1890-1920".
Not A: less concerned with politics than with intellectual issues. Not discussed in the passage. 
Not B: Adopted by main stream political parties. Passage talks about political opponents. 
Had C, not C: Women's groups to achieve goals, but action of "called repeatedly for international cooperation" was not stated in the passage.
Not D: Moderated initial criticism of economic system. Not discuessed in the passage. 
It's E: Before late 19th, these views coexisted means that after 19th, there is no attempt to unite the different views (relational and indiv.).

dcummins · Answer

Overall Passage : the author describes two modes of feminist argumentation - Rational and Individualist
 P1 : introduces the two concepts
 P2:  discusses how there was a divergence among feminist believers
 P3 : discusses pitfalls of either mode and suggest harmonisation

Q1  
Anglo individual rights are discussed in p2 in which it is stated "because the concept of...". From this sentence we are told that because the concept was established, the individual mode was easy to cultivate and flourish.
The author mentions this for the reason above
A is incorrect because it wasn't mentioned to demonstrate any influence on intellectual trends
B is incorrect - it is not stated that feminism was already part, but it is implied that individual feminism WAS NOT
C is incorrect - the opposite is true
D is true - the author sets the context to make the reader understand why this mode of feminism took off.
E is incorrect - the author isn't accounting for anything

Q2   
A is incorrect - the author speculates what the causes were
B is incorrect - the author CANT believe this otherwise why would he suggest that these modes be "harmonized" in p3?
C is incorrect - the author has no reason to believe the two modes will reach a consensus any time soon, he merely suggests the two modes harmonize
D is correct - the author states in P3 that "Relational arguments...are often appropriated by political adversaries to endorse male privilege" - Now I personally don't believe in this crap and I hate the fact that this is something I need to read, but it is implied that the two genders are iniquitous, so male privilege back then would strictly be defined as the equalities entitled to males inherit in the current social system. This is actually the only thing that can't be eliminated.
E - is incorrect because we are consistently told the opposite and then the author concludes to harmonize the two modes.

Q3   
In P1 we are told that relationalists post "that biological differences between sexes results in necessary sex division" and that "by contrast" "individual feminists" emphasize "x,yz " and "downplay the importance of gender roles"
A is incorrect - it is the opposite. The individualists deny that division.
B is incorrect because we aren't told anything of the inequities resultant from division of labour based on sex. 
C is correct because this is what relationalists believe and we are told that individualists deny this by downplaying the importance of gender.
D is incorrect - we cannot support this. The key is "differing attitudes"
E is incorrect - This cause-effect relationship really has me confused as to how it even relates at all to what's in the passage.

Q4  
We need to find something both modes agree on.
A - is not supported and thus incorrect.
B - is not supported and thus incorrect.
C - no mention of laws at all. Incorrect
D - individualists downplay gender roles, so no they would not agree on this.
E - Yes. This is stated in p3 - "relational feminists, while agreeing that equal educational and economic opportunities"...

Q5  
A - is incorrect because we are never told about "thoughts". We also don't know when individualists ideas came in.
B - Yes. "Relational feminism, had been the dominant strain" - P2
C - No. They were only prevalent in Writing. as per P2 sentence 1 we are told that prior to 1890 both modes co-existed in the same writings.
D - No. No such statement is made.
E - we cannot support this. The predominant view was relationist feminism, but we don't know if they asked for the same treatment "under law"

Q6  
A, B and C cannot be supported at all and are thus incorrect
D - there is no mention of moderation. eliminate
E - This MUST BE TRUE since the author's recommendation is to HARMONIZE the two modes

eyunni · Answer

Official Explanation:

1. The author of the passage alludes to the well-established nature of the concept of individual rights in the Anglo-Saxon legal and political tradition in order to

A This statement reverses the order: the more general intellectual trends in English history influenced individualist feminism.

B Feminism is not said to be a part of the Anglo-Saxon tradition.

C While relational feminism is said to predominate among European and non-Western feminists, the passage offers no evidence of a decline in individualist feminism among these groups.

D Correct.  The author uses the information about individual rights and the Anglo-Saxon tradition to explain why individualist feminism predominated in English speaking countries.

E The Anglo-Saxon tradition is not said to account for all the philosophical diff erences between the two feminist traditions in English-speaking countries, but only for the fact that individualist feminism became predominant there.

The correct answer is D.

2. The passage suggests that the author of the passage believes which of the following?

A In lines 19–24, the author identifies one cause for the situation.

B In lines 51–55, the author implies that a reconciliation might be possible, making this an overstatement.

C The author does not suggest that consensus is likely to happen soon; cooperation is not discussed.

D Correct.  Th is statement is consistent with the view the author expressed in the third paragraph.

E The last paragraph discusses the problems of both feminist traditions, but the author does not say one is better for contemporary feminist politics than the other.

The correct answer is D.

3. It can be inferred from the passage that the individualist feminist tradition denies the validity of which of the following causal statements?

A The passage neither discusses increased effi ciency nor implies that individualist feminists would reject it.

B The passage does not indicate that individualist feminists would disagree with this statement.

C Correct.  This statement refl ects the position of the relational feminists that the individualist feminists oppose; individualist feminists instead stress individual rights and personal autonomy.

D The passage off ers no evidence that individualist feminists would disagree with this statement.

E Nothing in the passage indicates that individualist feminists would disagree with this statement.

The correct answer is C.

4. According to the passage, relational feminists and individualist feminists agree that

A Only individualist feminists believe that individual human rights are most important (lines 11–13).

B Relational feminists do believe in a gender-based division of labor (lines 6–8).

C Lines 30–37 show that relational feminists do not believe in gender-blind equal rights laws.

D Only relational feminists believe in the importance of women’s special contributions to society (lines 35–36).

E Correct.  Practitioners of both feminist traditions believe that equal educational and economic opportunities should be available to both sexes.

The correct answer is E.

5. According to the author, which of the following was true of feminist thought in Western societies before 1890?

A The passage states that relational feminism was the dominant strain of the two views that coexisted; thus, the individualist arguments existed before 1890.

B Correct.  Lines 20–21 explicitly state that relational feminism had been the dominant strain in feminist thought before 1890.

C The passage shows that the two feminist traditions were not equally prevalent; relational feminism predominated.

D No evidence in the passage supports this statement.

E The passage does not show that most feminists before 1890 took this position.

The correct answer is B.

6. The author implies that which of the following was true of most feminist thinkers in England and the United States after 1920?

A Individualist feminists advocated a system with equal rights, and relational feminists sought protective legislation, so it is clear both
groups were politically active; the author does not imply that they were more interested in intellectual issues.

B The passage offers no evidence to show broader or growing support for feminist ideas.

C International cooperation is not discussed in the passage.

D No information in the passage supports this statement.

E Correct.  As the goals of the two feminist traditions grew increasingly irreconcilable, feminists in England and the United States did not try to harmonize the two strains in their thinking.

The correct answer is E.

CrackverbalGMAT · Answer

Question 90 is a detail question. 1920 is mentioned in the second paragraph. 
You have to read the second paragraph while answering the question.
A - nowhere does the paragraph talk about intellectual issues. Also, this option makes a comparison between importance of politics and intellectual issues to feminists. Nowhere in the paragraph do we see such a comparison. 
B - No mention of political parties in the 2nd paragraph. Individualist feminism became more prevalent does not mean that it was adopted by political parties.
C - We know that this is not true. "the goals of the two approaches began to seem increasingly irreconcilable."
D - The 2nd paragraph does not mention anything about economic systems. Nowhere in the paragraph does the author mention that individualist feminists moderated their tones. Look at the 2nd sentence of the 3rd paragraph - But the individualist approach, by attacking gender roles, denying the significance of physiological difference, and damning existing familial institutions as hopelessly patriarchal, has often simply treated as irrelevant the family roles important to many women.
E - Correct answer. Look at this sentence - "the goals of the two approaches began to seem increasingly irreconcilable." and this sentence in the 3rd paragraph - "If the individualist framework, with its claim for women’s autonomy, could be harmonized ". The author would not have mentioned them if they attempted to unite the two approaches.

debtanuB · Answer

GMATNinja   GMATNinja Two

2. The passage suggests that the author of the passage believes which of the following?

Please guide me if I'm wrong..

Between C & E-

Last line of last para says-"If the individualist framework, with its claim for women's autonomy, could be harmonized with the family-oriented concerns of relational feminists, a more fruitful model for contemporary feminist politics  could  emerge"

Option C says-" A consensus concerning the direction of future feminist politics  will probably  soon emerge, given the awareness among feminists of the need for cooperation among women."

What I inferred is that the author is optimistic regarding new feministic policy(which is blend of both).

Option E says-" Relational feminism  provides the  best  theoretical  framework for contemporary feminist politics , but  individualist feminism  could contribute  much  toward  refining and strengthening modern  feminist thought."

Which I think is distortion of last line, as the author says the  new feminist thought  which he hopes may soon emerge  is fruitful for contemp. pol. , whereas the option says  rel. fem. provides framework for contemp. pol.  &  Ind. fem. is refining & bla..bla..  is not mentioned in the passage.

GMATNinja · Answer

You've correctly identified the piece of (C) that helps us eliminate that answer choice. Does saying in the passage that something could occur mean that the author believes it probably will occur? Consider this example: I could stop eating doughnuts, which would be good for my health. Stating this fact, and even being optimistic about the potential health benefits of giving them up, doesn't mean I probably will stop eating doughnuts -- maybe I really love doughnuts. Maybe it's a family tradition to eat doughnuts every Sunday, and that is more important to me than the health benefits of giving them up. (Mmm... doughnuts.

) Similarly, the author saying that the two forms of feminism could merge with one another to create a new model doesn't mean that the author believes this probably will happen. The author is optimistic that IF this did come to pass, the result could be a "more fruitful model for contemporary feminist politics." That is different than being optimistic that the event actually will come to pass. (C) is out for question #2. For (E), the details in the answer choice do not align well with the information in the passage. In that last sentence, the author argues that the "individualist framework" could be harmonized with "the family-oriented concerns of relational feminists" to produce a more fruitful feminist model. (E), on the other hand, states that " relational feminism provides the best theoretical framework for contemporary feminist politics." This statement is not supported by the passage, so we cannot say that the author would agree with it. (E) is out. Take another look at (D): This is essentially a restatement of the first sentence of the last paragraph in the passage: (D) is the correct answer for question #2. I hope that helps!

agar123 · Answer

Even I think the answer should be C and not B for the question below:

5. According to the author, which of the following was true of feminist thought in Western societies before 1890?

(A) Individualist feminist arguments were not found in the thought or writing of non-English-speaking feminists.
(B) Individualist feminism was a strain in feminist thought, but another strain, relational feminism, predominated.
(C) Relational and individualist approaches were equally prevalent in feminist thought and writing.
(D) The predominant view among feminists held that the welfare of women was ultimately less important than the welfare of children.
(E) The predominant view among feminists held that the sexes should receive equal treatment under the law.

As the passage says:
"Before the late nineteenth century, these views coexisted within the feminist movement, often within the writings of the same individual. "

Can someone please help with this?

GMATNinja · Answer

Let's continue reading beyond the line that you've quoted:

(B) is the correct choice because the author is quite explicit in telling us that relational feminism had been the dominant strain in feminist thought before 1890.

Now, let's take another look at choice (C):

First off, the author's statement that relational feminism "had been the dominant strain" directly contradicts this answer choice, which is sufficient reason for us to eliminate it.

And to address your reading of the passage, "coexist" does not have the same meaning as "being equally prevalent." If two strains of thought  coexist , then they simply both exist at the same time or same place. If two strains of thought are  equally prevalent , then they not only coexist, but also are equally distributed in terms of their acceptance and influence. So the author's statement at the start of the second paragraph doesn't quite line up with the meaning of answer choice (C).

I hope this helps clarify why we keep (B) while eliminating (C).

aadityalohia95 · Answer

Hello  GMATNinja 
The statement which says  relational feminism, which had been the dominant strain in feminist thought  is particularly for years between  1890 and 1920 . And the question specifically asks for  which of the following was true of feminist thought in Western societies  before 1890?

Please comment.
Thanks in advance.

GMATNinja · Answer

Here's that full line again: Between 1890 and 1920, however, relational feminism, which had been the dominant strain in feminist thought, and which still predominates among European and non-Western feminists, lost ground in England and the United States. The use of the past perfect tense ("had been," in this case) sets up a specific timeline: there must be a continuous action or state of being in the past, which is then cut off by another event in the past. So, in this case, relational feminism had been the dominant strain in feminist thought. Then , between 1890 and 1920, it lost ground in England and the United States. From this, we know that relational feminism was the dominant strain of feminist thought before 1890. (B) is the correct answer to question 5. If you want more information about the past perfect tense, this video is a good place to start. Don't you love it when the worlds of reading comprehension and sentence correction collide?

I hope that helps!

mSKR · Answer

Question= most feminist thinkers ( Individualist feminists and Relational feminists) > Individualist feminists in England and US
Pre-thinking: I need to find either option based on both feminists or something strongly about individualist feminists.

which  still predominates  among European and non-Western feminists,  lost ground in England and the United States .  
>>Relational feminists were not in majority

Because the concept of individual rights was already well established in the Anglo-Saxon legal and political tradition, individualist feminism came to predominate in English-speaking countries.  
 At the same time , the goals of the two approaches began to  seem increasingly irreconcilable . 
What time ? = between 1890-1920s. So something that started during this period might have had continued.

Individualist feminists  began  to advocate a totally gender-blind system with equal rights for all. 
Relational feminists,  while  agreeing that equal educational and economic opportunities outside the home should be available for all wome n, 
All this was happening at the same time.( 1890-1920) . Since no specific information is given after 1920, whatever was started during this period seemed to continue

(A) They were  less concerned with politics  than with  intellectual issues. 
can't find any such relevant information 
(B)  They  began to reach a  broader audience and their program s began to be adopted by  mainstream political parties .
who they? What happened after 1920 : whether they reached broader audience? maybe
adopted by political parties?- can keep on hold for a while unless see better option
(C) They called repeatedly for  international cooperation  among women’s groups to achieve their goals.
Again, Nothing is mentioned as such. I can't infer
(D)  They  moderated  their initial criticism  of the economic systems that characterized their societies.
Who they? Relational feminists criticized but they were not in majority in England and USA
(E) They did not attempt to unite the two different feminist approaches in their thought
They = both 
seems not to reconcile/
If something was reconciled in 1890-1920s , it might have continued for sometime even after that period

Between B and E, I can find E directly from the information given. but I need to guess about B and can be argued, so E would be a better option.

GMATNinja : Please share your viewpoints.

GMATNinja · Answer

Question 6 
 
The problem with (B) is that the question asks for an answer choice that is  implied  by the author. This means that the best answer choice will have at least some basis in the passage. The author never mentions the reach and political impact of English and American feminists after the 1920s, so (B) is not  implied  by the author.

On the other hand, the author notes that “the goals of the two approaches began to seem increasingly irreconcilable.” And he/she concludes the passage by recommending that the two approaches be harmonized. This implies that the English and American feminists post-1920 did not attempt to unite the two approaches. So, (E) is the best answer choice.

I hope that helps!

Teitsuya · Answer

4. According to the passage, relational feminists and individualist feminists agree that

(A) individual human rights take precedence over most other social claims
(B) the gender-based division of labor in society should be eliminated
(C) laws guaranteeing equal treatment for all citizens regardless of gender should be passed
(D) a greater degree of social awareness concerning the importance of motherhood would be beneficial to society
(E) the same educational and economic opportunities should be available to both sexes

Hi  GMATNinja

For this question, at the first glance, I wanted to pick E but I doubt with the word "both sexes". So I just picked D instead.
because I did not see any words that emphasized both men and women.

Relational feminists, while agreeing that equal educational and economic opportunities outside the home should be available 
 for all women , continued to emphasize  women’s special  contributions to society as homemakers and  mothers ;

GMATNinja · Answer

Question 4 
 
As you noted, the passage states that relational and individualist feminists agree “that equal educational and economic opportunities outside the home should be available for all women.” So, the passage states that all women should have equal educational and economic opportunities. But equal to who? We could read that as equal to other women. But based on the context of the passage, it’s much more likely that the author is talking about opportunities equal to those of men. For that reason, we can keep (E).

On the other hand, we can definitively eliminate (D) based on what’s stated elsewhere in the passage. In the first paragraph, the author notes that individualist feminists downplay “the importance of gender roles and (minimize) discussion of childbearing and its attendant responsibilities.” For that reason, we can be sure that individualist feminists do not support a greater degree of social awareness concerning the importance of motherhood, and we can eliminate (D).

This is a great example of a question where we benefit by looking for the best answer, not the right answer. A solid process of elimination can go a long way, and in the end, we’re left with (E) as the best possible choice.

I hope that helps!

GMATaxe001 · Answer

Take another look at (D):
 
This is essentially a restatement of the first sentence of the last paragraph in the passage:
 
(D) is the correct answer for question #2.

I hope that helps!

Hi  GMATNinja  can you please tell how to make sense of the phrase " existing social system should be maintained." in option d? That is the reason I marked it wrong.

GMATNinja · Answer

Question 2 
 
Question 2 asks which answer choice the passage  suggests  -- so we're not necessarily looking for something that is stated outright in the passage.

The author discusses two forms of feminism, both of which argue for "women’s emancipation in Western societies." This implies that women  aren't  emancipated under the existing social system, and that men have a certain amount of privilege in comparison.

Then, the author states that relational feminist ideas are "often appropriated by political adversaries and used to endorse male privilege." Do we know for a fact that these "adversaries" want to maintain the existing social system? No, we don't know that for sure. But it is certainly implied that these adversaries do NOT want the feminist future that both relational and individualist feminists are fighting for.

That's enough to  suggest  that the author believes that "political adversaries of feminism often misuse arguments predicated on differences between the sexes to argue that the existing social system should be maintained."

In addition, your best bet for accurately answering RC questions is to use process of elimination, and stick with the option that can't be strongly eliminated. All of the other answer choices are definitely not suggested by the passage, so (D) is the correct answer to question 2.

I hope that helps!

anshul0130 · Answer

VeritasKarishma  - Can you please review my understanding of last paragraph ?

Author has mentioned -ve side of Relational argument and +ve side of Individual argument and how both the arguments can be reconciled.

Also, can you pls explain the meaning of "appropriated by" in below sentence ?

Relational arguments have a major pitfall: because they underline women’s physiological and psychological distinctiveness, they are often appropriated by political adversaries and used to endorse male privilege. But the individualist approach, by attacking gender roles, denying the significance of physiological difference, and condemning existing familial institutions as hopelessly patriarchal, has often simply treated as irrelevant the family roles important to many women. If the individualist framework, with its claim for women’s autonomy, could be harmonized with the family-oriented concerns of relational feminists, a more fruitful model for contemporary feminist politics could emerge.

KarishmaB · Answer

The last paragraph discusses the major pitfalls of both approaches:

Relational arguments are often appropriated by (used by) political adversaries and used to endorse male privilege. 
Individualist approach treats family roles as irrelevant but the family roles are important to many women.

So the last line mentions that if the two can be harmonised, it will result in a more fruitful model.

Vishal_Jain · Answer

GMATNinja   KarishmaB  
Took 14 mins to solve including reading time.
Got all correct. 
Should I have to cut down on my time or is it acceptable ?

Thank you.

Two modes of argumentation have been used on behalf of womens

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

Two modes of argumentation have been used on behalf of womens

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