Passage
In an unfinished but highly suggestive series of essays, the late Sarah Eisenstein has focused attention on the evolution of working women’s values from the turn of the century to the First World War. Eisenstein argues that turn-of-the-century women neither wholly accepted nor rejected what she calls the dominant “ideology of domesticity,” but rather took this and other available ideologies-feminism, socialism, trade unionism-and modified or adapted them in light of their won experiences and needs. In thus maintaining that wages-work helped to produce a new “consciousness” among women, Eisenstein to some extent challenges the recent, controversial proposal by Leslie Tentler that for women the work experience only served to reinforce the attractiveness of the dominant ideology. According to Tentler, the degrading conditions under which many female wage earners worked made them view the family as a source of power and esteem available nowhere else in their social world. In contrast, Eisenstein’s study insists that wage work had other implications for women’s identities and consciousness. Most importantly, her work aims to demonstrate that wage-work enabled women to become aware of themselves as a distinct social group capable of defining their collective circumstances. Eisenstein insists that as a group working-class women were not able to come to the collective consciousness of their situation until they began entering the labor force, because domestic work tended to isolate them from one another.
Unfortunately, Eisenstein’s unfinished study does not develop these ideas in sufficient depth or detail, offering tantalizing hints rather than an exhaustive analysis. Whatever Eisenstein’s overall plan may have been, in its current form her study suffers from the limited nature of the sources she depended on. She uses the speeches and writings of reformers and labor organizers, who she acknowledges were far from representative, as the voice of the typical woman worker. And there is less than adequate attention given to the differing values of immigrant groups that made up a significant proportion of the population under investigation. While raising important questions, Eisenstein’s essays do not provide a definitive answer, and it remains for others to take up the challenges they offer.
Question for 100 RCs for Practice Questions- 98
Try yourself:The primary purpose of the passage is to
Explanation
This question asks you to identify the primary purpose of the passage as a whole. Choice B is the best answer. The passage gives an overview of Eisenstein`s approach to women`s history and then offers an evaluation of that approach. Choice A is not correct: while the passage mentions certain criticisms of Eisenstein`s work, it is not her underlying assumptions that are being challenged. Furthermore, the criticisms do not constitute the primary concern of the passage. Choice C is not correct: while two theories are mentioned, a passage whose primary purposes were to compare those two theories would have to discuss the second theory in greater detail. Choice D and E are incorrect because the passage does not suggest that there have been misconceptions about feminist theory, and no particular ideology is being defended.
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Question for 100 RCs for Practice Questions- 98
Try yourself:It can be inferred from the passage that, in Eisenstein`s view, working women at the turn of the century had which of the following attitudes toward the dominant ideology of their time?
Explanation
This question requires you to make an inference, based on Eisenstein`s argument, regarding her view of the attitudes of the women she studies. The best answer is D. The first paragraph of the passage notes Eisenstein`s argument that women neither wholly accepted nor rejected the dominant ideology of the time and that they modified this and other ideologies to suit their needs. Choice A is incorrect. The dominant ideology is one among several ideologies that Eisenstein argues were adapted and modified by working women; the passage does not suggest that Eisenstein believed that working women resented that ideology or considered it degrading. Choice B is incorrect because Eisenstein`s argument is that women took aspects of several available ideologies and modified them; there is no suggestion that anyone ideology was preferred over others. Choice C can be eliminated because according to the passage, it is Tentler, not Eisenstein, who argues that working conditions increased the attractiveness of the dominant ideology. Choice E is not correct. Eisenstein argues that domestic work tended to isolate women from one another; there is no indication in the passage that the women themselves believed the dominant ideology was responsible for this.
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Question for 100 RCs for Practice Questions- 98
Try yourself:Which of the following best describes the organization of the first paragraph of the passage?
Explanation
This question asks you to identify the structure of the first paragraph of the passage. The best answer is C. The first paragraph presents Eisenstein's theory, then makes note of Tentler`s opposing views, then continues with a further explication of Eisenstein`s argument. Choice A can be eliminated because the paragraph discusses a certain historical development, the evolution of working women`s values, but it does not make predictions about future developments. Choice B is not correct because the paragraph is not concerned with contrasting definitions of any term. Choice D and E are not correct because the paragraph does not discuss a tentative proposal that requires evaluation or controversy that calls for resolution.
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Question for 100 RCs for Practice Questions- 98
Try yourself:Which of the following would the author of the passage be most likely to approve as a continuation of Eisenstein`s study?
Explanation
To answer this question you must decide which answer would best provide the sort of information that the author feels is lacking in Eisenstein`s study. The author`s critique of Eisenstein`s argument is found primarily in the second paragraph. Choice B is the best answer because the author points out that Eisenstein`s study is flawed in that it relies on sources that are not representative of the average female worker. An analysis of writings by typical female wage earners would help to rectify this problem. Choice A is not correct. Eisenstein`s study already focuses on labor organizers; it is unlikely that the author feels that even more attention to this group is necessary. Choice C is not correct because the passage does not suggest that three were disagreements among social and political groups as to the definition of the dominant ideology. Choices D and E are incorrect because Eisenstein`s study is not concerned with the interaction between socialism and feminism, nor with labor`s particular role in the introduction of women into the workforce.
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