Passage 21
Two modes of argumentation have been used on
behalf of women’s emancipation¹ in Western societies.
Arguments in what could be called the “relational”
feminist² tradition maintain the doctrine³ of “equality in
(5) difference,” or equity⁴ as distinct for equality. They
posit that biological distinctions between the sexes
result in a necessary sexual division of labor⁵ in the
family and throughout society and that women’s pro-
creative labor is currently undervalued by society, to
(10) the disadvantage of women. By contrast, the individual-
ist feminist tradition emphasizes individual human rights
and celebrates women’s quest for personal autonomy,
while downplaying the importance of gender⁶ roles and
minimizing discussion of childbearing and its attendant
(15) responsibilities.
Before the late nineteenth century, these views
coexisted within the feminist movement, often within
the writings of the same individual. Between 1890 nd
1920, however, relational feminism, which had been the
(20) dominant⁷ strain in feminist thought, and which still pre-
dominates among European and non-Western feminists⁸,
lost ground in England and the United States. Because
the concept of individual rights was already well estab-
lished in the Anglo-Saxon legal and political tradition,
(25) individualist feminism came to predominate in English-
speaking countries. At the same time, the goals of the
two approaches began to seem increasingly irreconcil-
able. Individualist feminists began to advocate a totally
gender-blind system with equal rights for all. Relational
(30) feminists, while agreeing that equal educational and
economic opportunities outside the home should be avail-
able for all women, continued to emphasize women’s
special contributions to society as homemakers and
mothers; they demanded special treatment
(35) including protective legislation for women workers,
state-sponsored maternity⁹ benefits, and paid compensa-
tion for housework.
Relational arguments have a major pitfall¹⁰: because
they underline women’s physiological¹¹ and psychological
(40) distinctiveness¹², they are often appropriated by political
adversaries¹³ and used to endorse¹⁴ male privilege. But the
individualist approach, by attacking gender roles, deny-
ing the significance of physiological difference, and
condemning existing familial institutions as hopelessly
(45) patriarchal, has often simply treated as irrelevant¹⁵ the
family roles important to many women. If the individu-
alist framework, with its claim for women’s autonomy,
could be harmonized with the family-oriented concerns
of relational feminists, a more fruitful model for con-
(50) temporary feminist politics could emerge.
 
125. The author of the passage alludes¹⁶ to the well-established nature of the concept of individual rights inthe Anglo-Saxon legal and political tradition in order to
(A)   illustrate¹⁷ 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. (D)
(E)   account for the philosophical¹⁸ differences between individualist and relational feminists in English-speaking countries
 
126. 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 irreconcilable¹⁹, given their theoretical ifferences concerning the foundations of society.
(C)   A consensus²⁰ concerning the direction of future feminist politics will probably soon emerge, given the awareness²¹ among feminists of the need for cooperation among women.
(D)  Political adversaries of feminism often misuse²² arguments predicated on differences between the sexes to argue that the existing social system should be maintained. (D)
(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.
 
127. 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 necessitated²³ by the existence of sex-linked biological differences between male and female members of the group.
(D)  Culturally determined²⁴ distinctions based on gender in a social group foster the existence of differing attitudes and opinions among group members. (C)
(E)   Educational programs aimed at reducing inequalities based on gender among members of a social group can result in a sense of greater well-being²⁵ for all members of the group.
 
128. 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)
(E)   the same educational and economic opportunities should be available to both sexes
 
129. 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 he welfare of children. (B)
(E)   The predominant view among feminists held that the exes should receive equal treatment under the law.
 
130. 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 mainstream²⁶ political parties.
(C)   They called repeatedly for international cooperation mong women’s groups to achieve their goals.
(D)  They moderated their initial criticism of the conomic systems that characterized their societies. (E)
They did not attempt to unite the two different eminist approaches in their thought.

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