In 1896 a Georgia couple suing for damages in the accidental death of their two year old was told that since the child had made no real economic contribution to the family, there was no liability for damages. In contrast, less than a century later, in 1979, the parents of a three-year-old sued in New York for accidental-death damages and won an award of $750,000.
The transformation in social values implicit in juxtaposing these two incidents is the subject of Viviana Zelizer's excellent book, Pricing the Priceless Child. During the nineteenth century, she argues, the concept of the "useful" child who contributed to the family economy gave way gradually to the present-day notion of the "useless" child who, though producing no income for, and indeed extremely costly to, its parents, is yet considered emotionally "priceless." Well established among segments of the middle and upper classes by the mid-1800's, this new view of childhood spread throughout society in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries as reformers introduced child-labor regulations and compulsory education laws predicated in part on the assumption that a child's emotional value made child labor taboo.
For Zelizer the origins of this transformation were many and complex. The gradual erosion of children's productive value in a maturing industrial economy, the decline in birth and death rates, especially in child mortality, and the development of the companionate family (a family in which members were united by explicit bonds of love rather than duty) were all factors critical in changing the assessment of children's worth. Yet "expulsion of children from the 'cash nexus,' although clearly shaped by profound changes in the economic, occupational, and family structures," Zelizer maintains, "was also part of a cultural process 'of sacrelization' of children's lives." Protecting children from the crass business world became enormously important for late-nineteenth-century middle-class Americans, she suggests; this sacralization was a way of resisting what they perceived as the relentless corruption of human values by the marketplace.
In stressing the cultural determinants of a child's worth, Zelizer takes issue with practitioners of the new "sociological economics," who have analyzed such traditionally sociological topics as crime, marriage, education, and health solely in terms of their economic determinants. Allowing only a small role for cultural forces in the form of individual "preferences," these sociologists tend to view all human behaviors as directed primarily by the principle of maximizing economic gain. Zelizer is highly critical of this approach, and emphasizes instead the opposite phenomenon: the power of social values to transform price. As children became more valuable in emotional terms, she argues, their "exchange" or "surrender" value on the market, that is, the conversion of their intangible worth into cash terms, became much greater.
Which of the following alternative explanations of the change in the cash value of children would be most likely to be put forward by sociological economists as they are described in the passage?
(A) The cash value of children rose during the nineteenth century because parents began to increase their emotional investment in the upbringing of their children.
(B) The cash value of children rose during the nineteenth century because their expected earnings over the course of a lifetime increased greatly.
(C) The cash value of children rose during the nineteenth century because the spread of humanitarian ideals resulted in a wholesale reappraisal of the worth of an individual.
(D) The cash value of children rose during the nineteenth century because compulsory education laws reduced the supply, and thus raised the costs, of available child labor.
(E) The cash value of children rose during the nineteenth century because of changes in the way negligence law assessed damages in accidental death cases.
[spoiler]OA is B. where the parents earning rose is given? [/spoiler]
Thanks for your patient reading!!
RC - Cash value of children..
This topic has expert replies
- arora007
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Actually had read the answer even before i read the question and the passage
aneways B would still among the choices which I would have preferred....
the question i think asks us to identify a case which is not described in the passage.
A case which identifies the change in the cash value of children
A -> last para's last few lines mention it, choice is out.
B -> don't remember reading anywhere , will keep this choice
C -> "this sacralization was a way of resisting what they perceived as the relentless corruption of human values by the marketplace."
I did not understand what sacralization means, making sacred... dunno...could be... will keep this choice
D -> Education is mentioned,child labour becoming taboo is mentioned. however the logic of demand supply though I think not mentioned. will keep this choice
E -> 1st para...its clearly mentioned, choice it out.
look again at C, humanitarian ideals is almost equal to human values, so this choice should be out. too...
so its a choice between B and D , and in D 2 out of 3 points are mentioned... so I might go for B.
I guess I have read this passage somewhere before, so it did not take that long as it usually takes...still it was something over 6 minutes for the passage and the answer.
aneways B would still among the choices which I would have preferred....
Which of the following alternative explanations of the change in the cash value of children would be most likely to be put forward by sociological economists as they are described in the passage?
(A) The cash value of children rose during the nineteenth century because parents began to increase their emotional investment in the upbringing of their children.
(B) The cash value of children rose during the nineteenth century because their expected earnings over the course of a lifetime increased greatly.
(C) The cash value of children rose during the nineteenth century because the spread of humanitarian ideals resulted in a wholesale reappraisal of the worth of an individual.
(D) The cash value of children rose during the nineteenth century because compulsory education laws reduced the supply, and thus raised the costs, of available child labor.
(E) The cash value of children rose during the nineteenth century because of changes in the way negligence law assessed damages in accidental death cases.
the question i think asks us to identify a case which is not described in the passage.
A case which identifies the change in the cash value of children
A -> last para's last few lines mention it, choice is out.
B -> don't remember reading anywhere , will keep this choice
C -> "this sacralization was a way of resisting what they perceived as the relentless corruption of human values by the marketplace."
I did not understand what sacralization means, making sacred... dunno...could be... will keep this choice
D -> Education is mentioned,child labour becoming taboo is mentioned. however the logic of demand supply though I think not mentioned. will keep this choice
E -> 1st para...its clearly mentioned, choice it out.
look again at C, humanitarian ideals is almost equal to human values, so this choice should be out. too...
so its a choice between B and D , and in D 2 out of 3 points are mentioned... so I might go for B.
I guess I have read this passage somewhere before, so it did not take that long as it usually takes...still it was something over 6 minutes for the passage and the answer.
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- abhi84v
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Adi, it says in the passage
new "sociological economics" who have analyzed such traditionally sociological topics as crime, marriage, education, and health solely in terms of their economic determinants. Allowing only a small role for cultural forces in the form of individual “preferences,� these sociologists tend to view all human behaviors as directed primarily by the principle of maximizing economic gain.
Hence the sociological economists would purely see the rise in child value in terms of monetary gain.
B is the only answer which mentions the rise in expected earnings - expected economic gain
Hope this helps.
new "sociological economics" who have analyzed such traditionally sociological topics as crime, marriage, education, and health solely in terms of their economic determinants. Allowing only a small role for cultural forces in the form of individual “preferences,� these sociologists tend to view all human behaviors as directed primarily by the principle of maximizing economic gain.
Hence the sociological economists would purely see the rise in child value in terms of monetary gain.
B is the only answer which mentions the rise in expected earnings - expected economic gain
Hope this helps.
Another question based on the topic above
4. The primary purpose of the passage is to
(A) review the literature in a new academic subfield
(B) present the central thesis of a recent book
(C) contrast two approaches to analyzing historical
change
(D) refute a traditional explanation of a social
phenomenon
(E) encourage further work on a neglected historical
topic
[spoiler]OA is B. I do not understand why the book is treated as RECENT? There is no reference on this in the text.[/spoiler]
4. The primary purpose of the passage is to
(A) review the literature in a new academic subfield
(B) present the central thesis of a recent book
(C) contrast two approaches to analyzing historical
change
(D) refute a traditional explanation of a social
phenomenon
(E) encourage further work on a neglected historical
topic
[spoiler]OA is B. I do not understand why the book is treated as RECENT? There is no reference on this in the text.[/spoiler]
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is this rc from aristotle rc 99kvitkod wrote:Another question based on the topic above
4. The primary purpose of the passage is to
(A) review the literature in a new academic subfield
(B) present the central thesis of a recent book
(C) contrast two approaches to analyzing historical
change
(D) refute a traditional explanation of a social
phenomenon
(E) encourage further work on a neglected historical
topic
[spoiler]OA is B. I do not understand why the book is treated as RECENT? There is no reference on this in the text.[/spoiler]
I Seek Explanations Not Answers
- sunnyjohn
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If any of you is interesting in all the question belonging to this RC:
1.It can be inferred from the passage that accidental-death damage awards in
America during the nineteenth century tended to be based principally on the
(A) earnings of the person at time of death
(B) wealth of the party causing the death
(C) degree of culpability of the party causing the death
(D) amount of money that had been spent on the person killed
(E) amount of suffering endured by the family of the person killed
2.It can be inferred from the passage that in the early 1800"Ÿs children were
generally regarded by their families as individuals who
(A) needed enormous amounts of security and affection
(B) required constant supervision while working
(C) were important to the economic well-being of a family
(D) were unsuited to spending long hours in school
(E) were financial burdens assumed for the good of society
3)Which of the following alternative explanations of the change in the cash value of
children would be most likely to be put forward by sociological economists as
they are described in the passage?
(A) The cash value of children rose during the nineteenth century because parents
began to increase their emotional investment in the upbringing of their
children.
(B) The cash value of children rose during the nineteenth century because their
expected earnings over the course of a lifetime increased greatly.
(C) The cash value of children rose during the nineteenth century because the
spread of humanitarian ideals resulted in a wholesale reappraisal of the
worth of an individual.
(D) The cash value of children rose during the nineteenth century because
compulsory education laws reduced the supply, and thus raised the costs, of
available child labor.
(E) The cash value of children rose during the nineteenth century because of
changes in the way negligence law assessed damages in accidental death
cases.
4)The primary purpose of the passage is to
(A) review the literature in a new academic sub-field
(B) present the central thesis of a recent book
(C) contrast two approaches to analyzing historical change
(D) refute a traditional explanation of a social phenomenon
(E) encourage further work on a neglected historical topic
5)It can be inferred from the passage that which of the following statements was
true of American families over the course of the nineteenth century?
(A) The average size of families grew considerably.
(B) The percentage of families involved in industrial work declined dramatically.
(C) Family members became more emotionally bonded to one another.
(D) Family members spent an increasing amount of time working with each other.
(E) Family members became more economically dependent on each other.
6)Zelizer refers to all of the following as important influences in changing the
assessment of children"Ÿs worth EXCEPT changes in
(A) the mortality rate
(B) the nature of industry
(C) the nature of the family
(D) attitudes toward reform movements
(E) attitudes toward the marketplace
7)Which of the following would be most consistent with the practices of
sociological economics as these practices are described in the passage?
(A) Arguing that most health-care professionals enter the field because they
believe it to be the most socially useful of any occupation
(B) Arguing that most college students choose majors that they believe will lead
to the most highly paid jobs available to them
(C) Arguing that most decisions about marriage and divorce are based on rational
assessments of the likelihood that each partner will remain committed to the
relationship
(D) Analyzing changes in the number of people enrolled in colleges and
universities as a function of changes in the economic health of these
institutions
(E) Analyzing changes in the ages at which people get married as a function of a
change in the average number of years that young people have lived away
from their parents
1.It can be inferred from the passage that accidental-death damage awards in
America during the nineteenth century tended to be based principally on the
(A) earnings of the person at time of death
(B) wealth of the party causing the death
(C) degree of culpability of the party causing the death
(D) amount of money that had been spent on the person killed
(E) amount of suffering endured by the family of the person killed
2.It can be inferred from the passage that in the early 1800"Ÿs children were
generally regarded by their families as individuals who
(A) needed enormous amounts of security and affection
(B) required constant supervision while working
(C) were important to the economic well-being of a family
(D) were unsuited to spending long hours in school
(E) were financial burdens assumed for the good of society
3)Which of the following alternative explanations of the change in the cash value of
children would be most likely to be put forward by sociological economists as
they are described in the passage?
(A) The cash value of children rose during the nineteenth century because parents
began to increase their emotional investment in the upbringing of their
children.
(B) The cash value of children rose during the nineteenth century because their
expected earnings over the course of a lifetime increased greatly.
(C) The cash value of children rose during the nineteenth century because the
spread of humanitarian ideals resulted in a wholesale reappraisal of the
worth of an individual.
(D) The cash value of children rose during the nineteenth century because
compulsory education laws reduced the supply, and thus raised the costs, of
available child labor.
(E) The cash value of children rose during the nineteenth century because of
changes in the way negligence law assessed damages in accidental death
cases.
4)The primary purpose of the passage is to
(A) review the literature in a new academic sub-field
(B) present the central thesis of a recent book
(C) contrast two approaches to analyzing historical change
(D) refute a traditional explanation of a social phenomenon
(E) encourage further work on a neglected historical topic
5)It can be inferred from the passage that which of the following statements was
true of American families over the course of the nineteenth century?
(A) The average size of families grew considerably.
(B) The percentage of families involved in industrial work declined dramatically.
(C) Family members became more emotionally bonded to one another.
(D) Family members spent an increasing amount of time working with each other.
(E) Family members became more economically dependent on each other.
6)Zelizer refers to all of the following as important influences in changing the
assessment of children"Ÿs worth EXCEPT changes in
(A) the mortality rate
(B) the nature of industry
(C) the nature of the family
(D) attitudes toward reform movements
(E) attitudes toward the marketplace
7)Which of the following would be most consistent with the practices of
sociological economics as these practices are described in the passage?
(A) Arguing that most health-care professionals enter the field because they
believe it to be the most socially useful of any occupation
(B) Arguing that most college students choose majors that they believe will lead
to the most highly paid jobs available to them
(C) Arguing that most decisions about marriage and divorce are based on rational
assessments of the likelihood that each partner will remain committed to the
relationship
(D) Analyzing changes in the number of people enrolled in colleges and
universities as a function of changes in the economic health of these
institutions
(E) Analyzing changes in the ages at which people get married as a function of a
change in the average number of years that young people have lived away
from their parents
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6)Zelizer refers to all of the following as important influences in changing the
assessment of children"Ÿs worth EXCEPT changes in
(A) the mortality rate
(B) the nature of industry
(C) the nature of the family
(D) attitudes toward reform movements
(E) attitudes toward the marketplace
What is the meaning of "nature" in "the nature of the industry" ? I understood that it means type of industry, which is wrong. Please help me to understand.
assessment of children"Ÿs worth EXCEPT changes in
(A) the mortality rate
(B) the nature of industry
(C) the nature of the family
(D) attitudes toward reform movements
(E) attitudes toward the marketplace
What is the meaning of "nature" in "the nature of the industry" ? I understood that it means type of industry, which is wrong. Please help me to understand.