Reading Comprehension

Source: OG 12 Ed

In 1955 Maurice Duverger published The
Political Role of Women, the first behavioralist,
multinational comparison of women's electoral
participation ever to use election data and survey
data together. His study analyzed women's patterns
of voting, political candidacy, and political activism
in four European countries during the first half of
the twentieth century. Duverger's research findings
were that women voted somewhat less frequently
than men (the difference narrowing the longer
women had the vote) and were slightly more
conservative.
Duverger's work set an early standard for the
sensitive analysis of women's electoral activities.
Moreover, to Duverger's credit, he placed his
findings in the context of many of the historical
processes that had shaped these activities.
However, since these contexts have changed
over time, Duverger's approach has proved more
durable than his actual findings. In addition,
Duverger's discussion of his findings was hampered
by his failure to consider certain specific factors
important to women's electoral participation
at the time he collected his data: the influence
of political regimes, the effects of economic
factors, and the ramifications of political and
social relations between women and men. Given
this failure, Duverger's study foreshadowed the
enduring limitations of the behavioralist approach
to the multinational study of women's political
participation.

Q 1
The passage implies that, in comparing four European countries, Duverger found that the voting rates of women and men were most different in the country in which women
(A) were most politically active
(B) ran for office most often
(C) held the most conservative political views
(D) had the most egalitarian relations with men
(E) had possessed the right to vote for the shortest time

OA: E

I didn't find shortest time.

Q 2
The author implies that some behavioralist research involving the multinational study of women's political participation that followed Duverger's study did which of the following?
(A) Ignored Duverger's approach
(B) Suffered from faults similar to those in Duverger's study
(C) Focused on political activism
(D) Focused on the influences of political regimes
(E) Focused on the political and social relations between women and men

OA: B

Please explain.

Duverger's research findings were that women voted somewhat less frequently than men (the difference narrowing the longer women had the vote)

The difference narrowing longer the women had the vote--- implies the SHORTEST TIME !!

(5 mins for reading + 2 Qs )
For Q 1 the line that implies is (the difference narrowing the longer women had the vote)..little hard to understand this line at first shot..i was confused b/w C & E. C can be eliminated coz it uses extreme work "MOST" whereas in passage we have only " slightly more".

For Q 2 ,
"he collected his data: the influence of political regimes, the effects of economic factors, and the ramifications of political and social relations between women and men ......limitations of the behavioralist approach "

This clearly says B.

Hi Akhilesh n sumanr84

For Q2 the answer is B.But the reason for this is i think the last statement of the passage "Duverger study foreshadowed the enduring limitations of the behavioralist approach to the multinational study of women political participation."

This shows that his findings were influenced from that and so they both share a comman failure.

Please correct me if i am wrong.

Thanks n regards,
Saurabh.

saurabhmahajan wrote:Hi Akhilesh n sumanr84

For Q2 the answer is B.But the reason for this is i think the last statement of the passage "Duverger study foreshadowed the enduring limitations of the behavioralist approach to the multinational study of women political participation."

This shows that his findings were influenced from that and so they both share a comman failure.

Please correct me if i am wrong.

Thanks n regards,
Saurabh.

You are correct. Actually, I meant the same thing. If you look at the start of the sentence you have put above, you will notice that the sentence starts with "Given this failure,". So, what were those failures - the influence
of political regimes, the effects of economic factors, and the ramifications of political and social relations between women and men.... So, all other behavioralist research involving the multinational study of women suffered from these failures too.

Anyone knows what difficulty level this passage may be??

Thank you!

Thanks, I understood Q1 but still I have doubt in Q2.

Answer of Q1 contain in:- Duverger's research findings were that women voted somewhat less frequently than men (the difference narrowing the longer women had the vote) and were slightly more conservative.
I understood it.


Answer of Q2 contain in:- Duverger's study foreshadowed the enduring limitations of the behavioralist approach to the multinational study of women's political participation.
It is very hard for me to infer B.

I understood like this.
Duverger's study had already indicated about tolerance capacity of [ the behavioralist approach to the multinational study of women's political participation ].

Duverger's study foreshadowed the
enduring limitations of the behavioralist approach
to the multinational study of women's political
participation.

Just look at the key words and it is easy to infer the answer. Foreshadowed implying the study was suggestive of what it is come! Enduring limitations implying the study's limitations were long lasting.

Therefore Option B is the best of the lot!

ironsferri wrote:Anyone knows what difficulty level this passage may be??

Thank you!

Don't know. I find these passages pretty simple but I get stuck on scientific language and when you need two proof sentences . So difficulty on RC is relative. Don't know how GMAC views difficulty level on RC.

akhp77 wrote:
Q 1
The passage implies that, in comparing four European countries, Duverger found that the voting rates of women and men were most different in the country in which women
(A) were most politically active
(B) ran for office most often
(C) held the most conservative political views
(D) had the most egalitarian relations with men
(E) had possessed the right to vote for the shortest time

OA: E

I didn't find shortest time.

Q 2
The author implies that some behavioralist research involving the multinational study of women's political participation that followed Duverger's study did which of the following?
(A) Ignored Duverger's approach
(B) Suffered from faults similar to those in Duverger's study
(C) Focused on political activism
(D) Focused on the influences of political regimes
(E) Focused on the political and social relations between women and men

OA: B

Please explain.

Why B??
Duverger’s study foreshadowed the
enduring limitations of the behavioralist approach
to the multinational study of women’s political
participation.

From the passage , we can infer that behavioralist approach has some limitations. Moreover Duverger’s study is NOT 100 % successful. Becox his study failed to consider certain factors that are important to women.

Now the question stem asks us what will happen if someone follows Duverger’s study and his findings??

Obviously the new study will also have some limitations becox the reaserch methodology itself has some "enduring limitations".

Plz look for the keyword" enduring" (means ever lasting" " and anothet key word" foreshadowing ( means "resembling").

So in simple terms to put it, If X has d defects, then when z that is a subset of X will have atleast"d"

defects.

SO B rightly puts it.

I suggest always use symbol method & POE & cross checking in RC

[quote="akhp77"]Source: OG 12 Ed
Given
this failure, Duverger's study foreshadowed the
enduring limitations of the behavioralist approach
to the multinational study of women's political
participation.

Q 2
The author implies that some behavioralist research involving the multinational study of women's political participation that followed Duverger's study did which of the following?
(A) Ignored Duverger's approach
(B) Suffered from faults similar to those in Duverger's study
(C) Focused on political activism
(D) Focused on the influences of political regimes
(E) Focused on the political and social relations between women and men

OA: [spoiler]B[/spoiler]


Lesson 1(I learnt it the hard way): Whenever you find a question that takes to the portion of a passage that is complicated i.e a lot of high sounding words are used or it puts a pattern of negative positive such as
I am trying to avoid being sober-->simple version--> I want to be drunk always
then GMAT is basically trying to confuse you on the different usage of the word

Here the

foreshadowed:
Verb: Be a warning or indication of (a future event)

Enduring Limitations.
Enduring: surviving against odds
Enduring Limitations --> The limitations are exsisting against all odds

thus

Duverger's study foreshadowed(Be a warning or indication of) the
enduring limitations of the behavioralist approach
to the multinational study of women's political
participation

it simply says Duverger's study was the one of the first of its kind in using this method
and it shows that all other studies that follow this method has the same limitations

Hope this helps