Historian Elena Rodriguez spent three years documenting the experiences of immigrant families in 1940s Detroit for her oral history project....
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Historian Elena Rodriguez spent three years documenting the experiences of immigrant families in 1940s Detroit for her oral history project. Rodriguez interviewed elderly community members whose memories of wartime factory work and neighborhood life remained vivid despite their advanced age. However, many participants spoke primarily in their native languages and used cultural references unfamiliar to younger generations, requiring Rodriguez to work with translators and conduct extensive background research to fully understand their accounts.
What does the text most strongly suggest about Rodriguez's methodology?
Rodriguez's interviews covered a broader time period than most oral history projects typically examine.
The language barriers and cultural references necessitated a more collaborative approach than Rodriguez had originally planned.
According to Rodriguez, the elderly participants provided more detailed memories than younger community members would have.
Rodriguez's project focused more on factory work than on neighborhood life experiences.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| Historian Elena Rodriguez spent three years documenting the experiences of immigrant families in 1940s Detroit for her oral history project. |
|
| Rodriguez interviewed elderly community members whose memories of wartime factory work and neighborhood life remained vivid despite their advanced age. |
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| However, many participants spoke primarily in their native languages and used cultural references unfamiliar to younger generations, |
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| requiring Rodriguez to work with translators and conduct extensive background research to fully understand their accounts. |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Rodriguez's oral history project required additional collaborative and research methods due to language barriers and cultural differences she encountered with her elderly immigrant participants.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? What the text suggests about Rodriguez's methodology - specifically how she approached her research.
What type of answer do we need? An inference about her research methods based on the information provided in the passage.
Any limiting keywords? Content Genre: Humanities & Social Sciences, Content Format: Text-only, Question Type: Simple Inference, Language Complexity: Accessible
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The passage clearly shows that Rodriguez encountered unexpected challenges - language barriers and unfamiliar cultural references
- The key phrase is 'requiring Rodriguez to work with translators and conduct extensive background research'
- This suggests her methodology had to adapt and become more collaborative than initially planned
- The correct answer should reflect this adaptation - that the challenges she encountered necessitated changes to her original approach
Rodriguez's interviews covered a broader time period than most oral history projects typically examine.
✗ Incorrect
- Claims Rodriguez's interviews covered a broader time period than typical projects
- The passage only mentions 1940s Detroit - no comparison to other projects' timeframes
The language barriers and cultural references necessitated a more collaborative approach than Rodriguez had originally planned.
✓ Correct
- States that language barriers and cultural references necessitated a more collaborative approach than originally planned
- Directly supported by 'requiring Rodriguez to work with translators and conduct extensive background research'
- The word 'requiring' suggests this wasn't part of her initial plan but became necessary
According to Rodriguez, the elderly participants provided more detailed memories than younger community members would have.
✗ Incorrect
- Claims Rodriguez said elderly participants had better memories than younger people would
- The passage notes elderly participants had 'vivid' memories but makes no comparison to younger people's potential memories
Rodriguez's project focused more on factory work than on neighborhood life experiences.
✗ Incorrect
- Suggests Rodriguez focused more on factory work than neighborhood life
- The passage mentions both 'wartime factory work and neighborhood life' equally with no indication that one received more attention than the other