Passage Discussion

[norginz]

Hi,

Can you explain to me what this passage is about (by paragraph)? I am having alot of difficulty understanding it. The little I do get from it is that Abrams is arguing for sociologists to study history using a "fourfold structure" instead of another approach.

Thanks

[ManhattanPrepLSAT1]

Good question.

The set up for the direction of the passage occurs in the first paragraph. Abrams is arguing against either of the one-sided approaches briefly alluded to in the first paragraph. These being that one either sees people as a product of their environment or the environment as a product of the people in it. Abrams is arguing that we should use both perspectives simultaneously and calls this continuous process "structuring."

Paragraph one describes the two-sided process "structuring" for understanding historical sociology.

Paragraph two claims that this approach can be applied to understanding history as well and both how people are a product of their environments and how environments are a product of the people in them.

Paragraph three says that this understanding is important and complex and then gives a four step process by which one can see both sides of the issue simultaneously.

In summary, there are two one-sided approaches that Abrams argues should be applied simultaneously, and then each of the one-sided approaches are described, and a recommendation for how to apply the approaches simultaneously is offered.

Does that answer your question?

[norginz]

Yes I kind of get it. I can see how you interpreted paragraph 1.

Can you further elaborate how you arrived at your summary of paragraph 2? Is it the part about what "contingencies" are and how they affect people?

In paragraph 3, I see where the author says understanding structuring is complex and using the four step process for better understanding but I get lost from lines 35-45. Can you break it down for me?

Also, do you have any tips on tackling a passage like this, where the passage is difficult to understand, on a real exam? I spent a lot of time on this passage and won't have the luxury of doing so on the real thing.

Thanks

[ManhattanPrepLSAT1]

I see the following lines as representing the most important elements of paragraph 2.

lines 14-15: Abrams also ... structuring. (this says that the two-fold approach applies to history)
lines 16-18: But our ... from the past, (reiterates the two-fold approach as it applies to history)

These are the lines that i drew the function of the second paragraph from.

In lines 35-45 I don't see the information as being terribly important. That doesn't mean that there won't be a question related to that information, but it seems to be saying that these moments in time are good to study because we can see both the social forces at play within the character as well as the character qualities that allowed the individual to act. These lines are about how the two patterns described in the paragraph above come to play at certain moments; making these moments good ones to study. In these moments we see how the character is a product of his/her environment and we see how the environment is shaped by the character's actions.

In general when you get lost in the passage, focus more on the big picture. Try to get a general understanding for what the author wants to accomplish by writing this passage and also how the paragraphs fit together (the passage organization). Don't worry about some of the smaller points being made. Only come back to them once you have a broader sense for what the passage seeks to accomplish.

Let me know if you'd still like some more clarification on this, and thanks for posting your questions about this passage on the forum!