#13- Must Be True, Purpose

[katapult]

Question #13 asks about the primary concern of the passage and I'm having trouble understanding the reasoning for the answer, C, "the content and style of a proposal to reform the scientific approach to nature."

I had eliminated C on that basis that the passage was an exploration of an example of a new approach to this type writing, and was not really a proposal. To me, the primary concern seemed to be exploring an exciting alternate way of writing on the topic, which inclined me to answers E or even B.

Would you say that the inclusion of "content and style" in C is what sets it above option E?

Thanks!

[Francis O'Rourke]

It's a lot easier for me to identify what's wrong with with choice (E) than what's good about choice (C).

Choice (E) clearly thinks that the passage is much broader than it truly is. It describes positions on styles in books rather than describing the one position - Haraway's iconoclastic view - in one book, Primate Visions.

Even if Choice (E) used the singular instead of plural to describe the passage, it would have some faults: it ignores everything the passage said about the content of her approach, and instead restricts the passage's primary concern to effects on writing style, which was only dealt with in the third paragraph.

Whether we can call her book a proposal is tricky at first, since the author does not directly refer to it as such. She is challenging the traditional approach according to the beginning of the second paragraph. According to line 22 She proposes a new approach. In the third paragraph she presents an alternative to traditionalist style. And according to the last paragraph readers must get rid of assumptions about science. Taken together, this is enough for me to agree that we can call her book a proposal.

[katapult]

Thank you! This was very clear and helpful.

[MaryamAfzal]

Hi! I am having a difficult time understanding why C is correct answer choice. As stated above, I do not see how Haraway's book is a proposal? I know it differs in style from what other scientists have done, but I can't seem to find in the passage where it alludes or states that it is a proposal.

Thanks,
Maryam

[Eric Ockert]

Hi Maryam!

I would agree with Francis that there are a lot of subtle instances in the passage that line up with answer choice (C). But perhaps the most telling giveaway lies in the three sentences beginning at L15. The first sentence there gives you the "scientific approach to nature" mentioned in answer choice (C). The second sentence argues that view is no longer "scientifically viable." And finally, in the third sentence, she "proposes an approach..." So taken together we have a proposal to reform the scientific approach to nature. The rest of the passage describes much of the content and style of the book, and thus the approach.

Hope that helps!

[tug59567]

Why is D incorrect? I see how C is a better, more complete answer, but am still having issues finding reasons to rule out answer choice D.

Thank you for your time!

[Robert Carroll]

tug,

My biggest problem with answer choice (D) was the end: "history of women in science". I see nothing in the passage that indicates that the topic of the book was "the history of women in science," so that seems like a misdescription of the subject matter of Primate Visions. From the hints we get, the topic seems to be the history of the scientific field of primatology, written in an idiosyncratic way by Haraway.

Robert Carroll

[MountainGirl234]

I'm having a hard time eliminating A. Is it too specific?

I thought the whole point of the passage was to discuss how gender and class played a role in understanding a particular field of science and, because of that, helped differentiate Haraway's work from others. Paragraph 1 supports this, and then I justified the last paragraph discussing cultural analysis to also include class issues.

Where is my thinking steering me wrong?

[Adam Tyson]

Answer A places the emphasis on the wrong things, MountainGirl234. The primary purpose of the passage is to talk about Haraway's book! Her book is largely concerned with looking at issues of gender, race, class, and culture and how those interact with the concept of nature, but the passage is not as concerned about those details as it is about the book itself, how innovative it is and how much it challenges our usual conceptions of the ideas it discusses. Also, primatology is just the lens through which Haraway explores these ideas, rather than being the central concern of either her book or this passage.

[ashpine17]

so i was down between c and d and didn't remember proposal or women's history of science so if i am under time what am i supposed to do in this situation?