#21 - Global Reference, Main Point

[katehos]

Hi JasminLys!

Lines 31-33 do make mention of how Gilman views the activist Social Darwinism ideology as not just an observation but also a source of ethical responsibility with practical implications, however, these lines do not tell us that this was unique or "unlike most Social Darwinists". It may be possible that all of the activist Social Darwinists share Gilman's viewpoint - we just aren't certain and so we can eliminate (C).

Answer choice (D), on the other hand, mentions Gilman's relationship with Social Darwinism, as well as both the theoretical and practical implications of her viewpoint. Each of these components is true of the passage and nicely encapsulates the material. You're correct that this answer choice does not necessarily discuss the other types of Social Darwinism (in contrast to that believed by Gilman), but ultimately, it still emphasizes the relationship between Gilman and her take on Social Darwinism and contains only statements that are true to the passage so it is our correct answer!

I hope this helps
Kate

[DaveFromSpace]

I originally eliminated answer D because it says Gilman's writing advised women to drive social change through efforts to eliminate traditional gender roles.

But in the last sentence of the passage she seems to advocate incorporating traits that are traditionally female into the destination of the social change:

"Future progress, she believed, now required the restoration of a balance that would include what she saw as female qualities of cooperation and nurturance."

This feels like it directly contradicts the apparent total elimination of traditional gender roles.

[Jeff Wren]

Hi Dave,

It looks like you are confusing gender roles (i.e. what men and women do in society such as jobs) with the qualities that Gilman believed were primarily male traits or female traits.

The sentence in the passage that directly supports that Gilman wanted to "eliminate traditional gender roles" (my emphasis) as stated in Answer D is "A central goal of the reorganization that she (Gilman) envisioned would be the abandonment of gender-specific work roles and hierarchical relationships" (my emphasis)(lines 46-49).

The lines that you cite that directly follow the above quote do not contradict this statement. These lines explain the Gilman did believe that men and women have different qualities or traits. Gilman believed that certain male traits may have been essential to our evolution in the past. In other words, those traditional gender roles may have been necessary in the past. However, Gilman believed that future progress would need a balance of both male and female qualities. In other words, both men and women should work at the same jobs or roles in society. Gilman isn't arguing that men and women have the same traits, instead she is arguing that women's traits will contribute to and provide balance to society as women share roles that were traditionally limited to men (and vice versa).