Feminism is an Essentially Pluralist Movement. Early Historians of The

Reading Passage Question

Feminism is an essentially pluralist movement. Early historians of the feminist movement claim that the movement was borne from the experiences of every woman who has resisted or tried to resist domination. From this proposition, three major premises follow. First, feminism places great importance on subjective experience. This implies that much of feminist theory is inductive, moving from the particularities of an individual’s perception of the world to general statements about the nature of the world. Second, feminism is not easily reducible to generalities. The diversity of viewpoints incorporated into the movement resists systematization, but the difficulty of forming a coherent whole from the parts of the theory should be viewed as detrimental. Third, feminism attempts to transform the personal into the political. The individual’s experiences of gender domination transcend the typical boundaries that divide the public and private sphere. Predictably, feminist political theory assumes the intermingling of these domains.

Differences among feminist theories arise from two major sources. The first is from the differences inherent in various interpretations of events and the second is from the differences in the nature and character of experiences. Varieties of interpretations led to the establishment of several major schools of feminist thought, including liberal feminists, radical feminists, and socialist feminists, while the diversity of experiences accounts for the cultural feminist, psychoanalytic feminist, and black feminist movements. These experiential movements should not be seen as complete, for as the feminist ethos takes root in other countries with different traditions, new theoretical perspectives will develop.

“Feminism is an essentially pluralist movement. Early historians of the ”- is a GMAT reading comprehension passage with answers. Candidates need a strong knowledge of English GMAT reading comprehension.

This GMAT Reading Comprehension consists of 7 comprehension questions. The GMAT Reading Comprehension questions are designed for testing candidates’ abilities in understanding, analyzing, and applying information or concepts. Candidates can actively prepare with the help of GMAT Reading Comprehension Practice Questions.

Solution and explanation

1. The passage is primarily concerned with

1. evaluating a theory
2. tracing the history of a movement
3. suggesting the likely progression of an idea
4. describing a perspective
5. rejecting a criticism

2. Which of the following would most undermine the author’s conclusion in the final paragraph?

1. Although the traditions in other countries may differ, the experiences of women in those countries are fairly similar.
2. The societal structure of some countries will make it difficult for feminism to take hold.
3. Most feminist scholars identify themselves with interpretationbased schools of feminism.
4. Because women’s experiences in society are always changing, so too will the theoretical perspectives gained from them.
5. Many other countries already have the seeds of a feminist movement.

3. The author implies which of the following about feminism?

1. It offers a systematic and coherent view of the world.
2. Its primary characteristic is its rejection of male hierarchical structures.
3. It seeks to intertwine the political and theoretical worlds.
4. It values diversity.
5. It uses the experiences of women to attempt to transform the world.

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