Reading comp PrepTest 114 · Section 3 · Question 18

Passage

Questions 15-20  .        In explaining the foundations of the discipline  . known as historical sociology—the examination of  . history Remaining source text redacted.
Passage walkthrough
Passage Summary

Topic: Social Science


Paragraph 1

  • Paragraph note
    • Philip Abrams's new approach to historical sociology (structuring, which acknowledges the mutual influence of society and individuals)
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
    • The problem, according to Abrams:
      • Sociologists studying history either focus too much on how society is made by people or how people are shaped by society (first sentence)
    • The solution, according to Abrams:
      • Sociologists need to recognize that individuals are continuously shaped by society, which is in turn continuously influenced by individuals (second sentence)
    • Definition of "historical sociology": Examining history using sociological tools (first sentence)
    • Abrams's definition of of "structuring": The continuous process of examining how society constructs individuals and how individuals construct society (second and last sentences)

Paragraph 2

  • Paragraph note
    • Abrams's historical argument (history is created by individuals whose social "contingencies" shape their actions)
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
    • Abrams's definition of "contingency": social phenomena over which individuals have varying degrees of control (third sentence)
    • Examples of "contingencies," according to Abrams:
      • Socioeconomic status, ideologies, accidents (fourth sentence)
    • Cause-and-effect relationship, according to Abrams:
      • "Contingencies" shape parameters in which individuals can act, and their actions, in turn, shape the society around them (last sentence)

Paragraph 3

  • Paragraph note
    • Abrams's analytical roadmap (analyzing significant historical episodes with a fourfold structure)
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
    • Abrams's view:
      • To analyze the continuous process of structuring, historical sociologists must analyze historically significant events where individual action and social contingency meet (second through fourth sentences)
    • List of four ways to analyze historically significant people/episodes:
      • Describe the event (last sentence)
      • Describe the social context and significance of the event (last sentence)
      • Trace the life history of the individual involved (last sentence)
      • Analyze the consequences of the event for society and individual (last sentence)

Main Point: Philip Abrams proposes a new approach to historical sociology that relies on the concept of "structuring" — the understanding that individuals whose actions shape history are themselves products of historical social influences or "contingencies."

Meta-Structure?

Reporting a Viewpoint: This passage utilizes a Reporting a Viewpoint Meta-Structure.* The first paragraph introduces the central problem that historical sociologist Philip Abrams will attempt to solve: that most sociologists approach historical sociology by overemphasizing either society's role in shaping the individual or the individual's role in shaping society. Abrams argues, instead, that a more accurate approach would be to simultaneously understand that, while the actions of individuals make history, those individuals have been acted upon by "contingencies," or the conditions in which they lived and their own abilities. These contingencies, in turn, shaped the actions they were able to take. This process, the author tells us, is what Abrams calls "structuring."

The author elaborates on Abrams's model, explaining that Abrams argues historical sociologists should focus on analyzing events to get an accurate picture of what was going on during the era they're studying. Only by understanding both why people involved in an event acted as they did and what social forces allowed them to act that way can historical sociologists truly get the full picture of what happened in society in the past. The author goes on to present a four-part analytical map that Abrams proposes historical sociologists use to fully analyze important events.

The main point in a Reporting A Viewpoint passage is the view held by the subject, in this case, Abrams. The author explains the problem that Abrams sees with the usual approach to historical sociology, lays out the solution Abrams proposes, and gives an example of how Abrams recommends people deploy his solution.

*You could make a solid case that this passage has an Old Approach/New Approach structure. There's the old, lopsided approach to historical sociology and Abrams's new synergistic view of how historical sociology should be conducted. You could also argue that this passage is a kind of Problem/Solution passage, presenting what Abrams sees as the "problem" of one-sided historical sociology and his "solution" to the problem, which is an entirely different approach. What is missing from the passage is any sense of what the author's opinion is of Abrams's approach. This fact swings the balance in favor of the Reporting a Viewpoint structure.

Last Thoughts?

This passage is somewhat rare in that it is impossible to detect what the author's opinion is of the subject being discussed. All the author is doing is reporting what Abrams thinks. In a way, this makes understanding the passage easier, as there are no nuances of authorial tone or perspective that the test-taker needs to keep track of. However, the argument Abrams is making is complicated enough that the test-taker needs to pay close attention to what is being explained in order to answer the questions correctly.

Question prompt

Which one of the Remaining source text redacted.
Why the credited answer is right

Credited answer: A

The notes below walk through why it fits the stem and how to eliminate the rest.

Question Type

Social Science

Strategy Overview

Review the relevant part of the passage and notes, if necessary, to anticipate key features of the ideal work of a historical sociologist

Answer Anticipation

These Application/Analogous Situation questions closely resemble Parallel Reasoning questions in Logical Reasoning. We want to find the answer choice that is structurally similar to the element we're asked to analogize. The correct answer won't have the same subject matter as the passage; instead, it will feature similar characteristics or themes as the element from the passage. Therefore, we should start by reviewing the key features of the element we're asked to parallel.In this case, we're asked to parallel the ideal work of a historical sociologist, as outlined by Abrams. This is a broad topic, as the whole passage is concerned with Abrams's view of how historical sociologists should ideally conduct their work. However, the third paragraph provides the clearest instance of how Abrams thinks scholars should analyze historical events. His fourfold structure is pretty specific about the steps scholars should take. The fourfold structure embodies Abrams's philosophy, so we should keep it in mind when we're analyzing the answer choices.Specifically, to parallel the fourfold structure, we're looking for an answer choice that lists the following: a short description of something, a statement about the broader context of the thing, some personal information about a person involved with the thing, and an overview of the ramifications of the thing, both for the person involved and the broader context in which it is found.This anticipation may sound rather broad, but we want our anticipation to be very general for these questions. This will help us assess the elements or themes of the answer choices independent of their subject matter.

Answer choices

  1. A
    In a report on Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice A matches the stem

    (A) Does this answer choice parallel Abrams's fourfold structure?

    Yes. This answer choice exactly maps the elements of the fourfold structure. First, it mentions a report on the enactment of a bill (a short description of something), the reason why the bill was written (the context of the thing), some personal information about the legislator who wrote it (personal info about the person involved with the thing), and speculation about the ramifications of the bill's passage will be both for the legislator and for society (consequences of the thing both for the person involved and for the broader context in which it is found). This is a very close match to the fourfold structure as laid out in the third paragraph.

    While most test-takers are understandably hesitant to pick an Analogous Situation answer choice without first reading all the options, we'd be entirely justified in selecting (A) and advancing straight to the next question. 

  2. B
    In a consultation with Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice B is not credited

    (B) Does this answer choice parallel Abrams's fourfold structure?

    No. The whole impetus behind the fourfold structure is to provide a framework to analyze the interactions between the individual and society in history. In this answer choice, there is just the individual. There is no larger context present. The answer choice mentions reasons why the patient developed their current condition, but the patient is not placed in any kind of relationship with their environment or society based on these reasons. 

    The absence of the element representing "society" is a problem with this answer choice. We can eliminate it for this reason.

  3. C
    In an analysis of Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice C is not credited

    (C) Does this answer choice parallel Abrams's fourfold structure?

    No. It begins with a short description, but the parallel of the second element of the fourfold structure — the larger context of the thing (novel) — is absent. This answer choice seems appealing because it mentions history and time periods, but if you dig down into it, it never mentions what the novel's relationship is to the historical period in which it was set. 

    The omission of this second element of the fourfold structure is enough to rule this answer choice out of contention, especially because (A) is a much better choice.

  4. D
    In a presentation to Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice D is not credited

    (D) Does this answer choice parallel Abrams's fourfold structure?

    No. The answer choice begins by describing a presentation to stockholders, but the parallel of the second element of the fourfold structure — the thing's relationship to its larger context — is missing.

    This is because, if you read closely, there is no consistent "thing" that runs throughout the answer choice. In Abrams's case, the "thing" is an event. In (A), the thing is a bill. In (B), the thing is a medical condition. In (C), the thing is a novel. But in (D), there is no comparable "thing." The answer choice mentions a presentation, profitable activities of the past year, a vice president, and projects planned for the following year. None of these elements runs throughout the answer choice in the same way that Abrams's "event" runs through his fourfold structure.

    Because the structure of this answer choice is so different from the structure of our anticipation, it can be ruled out.

  5. E
    In developing a film Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice E is not credited

    (E) Does this answer choice parallel Abrams's fourfold structure?

    No. Similarly to answer choice (D), this answer choice does not have a consistent "thing" that can be said to parallel Abrams's "event." It begins by talking about a film based on a historical event, then discusses interviews with participants in the actual event, then moves to a screenplay based on the interviews, and then to a sequence of scenes that are part of the film but that are not based on the actual event. While (E) may seem appealing at first because it talks about a historical event, when the answer choice is carefully broken down, it does not parallel Abrams's fourfold structure at all.

What this tests

Question analytics

Based on historical answer selection rates for this question.

Answer choice distribution

  1. A Credited 66%
  2. B 9%
  3. C 6%
  4. D 8%
  5. E 11%

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Discussion

  • Answer choice B? 2 replies

    Started by APS

  • What about A? 2 replies

    Started by mprezzy

  • Answer D 1 reply

    Started by annetr0712

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