Question

The passage suggests that which of the following was a reason for the difference of opinion between working-class mothers and women reformers on the issue of child labor?

• A. Reformers' belief that industrial home work was preferable to child labor outside the home
• B. Reformers' belief that child labor laws should pertain to working conditions but not to pay
• C. Working-class mothers' resentment at reformers' attempts to interfere with their parenting
• D. Working-class mothers' belief that child labor was an inhumane practice
• E. Working-class families' need for every employable member of their families to earn money

Hint:

When a passage contrasts the perspectives of different social classes on a policy issue, look for an answer that reflects their differing economic realities and priorities. This is often the primary source of the conflict.

Answer 1

Answer: (E)

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This is a detail/inference question asking for the root cause of the conflict between the two groups. Based on the overall theme of the passage, the conflict arises from the different life circumstances and priorities of the middle-class reformers and working-class mothers.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The central "oversight" of the reformers was their failure to grasp the economic situation of the poor. For the reformers, child labor was a moral issue about childhood, education, and exploitation. For many working-class families, the small income a child could bring in was not a luxury but a necessity for survival—to pay for rent or food. Banning child labor, without providing an alternative source of income, would be an economic disaster for these families. \[\begin{array}{rl} \bullet & \text{(A) and (B) focus on specific policy details that may not be the core reason for the disagreement.} \\ \bullet & \text{(C) While some resentment might have existed, the fundamental reason for the conflict was more structural and economic than personal.} \\ \bullet & \text{(D) This is the reformers' belief, not the working-class mothers'. Many mothers likely agreed it was harsh but saw it as a necessary evil.} \\ \bullet & \text{(E) This option directly states the economic imperative that drove the working-class perspective. Their resistance to child labor laws stemmed from their desperate need for the income their children provided. This is the fundamental source of the "difference of opinion."} \\ \end{array}\]

Step 3: Final Answer:
The core reason for the disagreement between the two groups was the clash between the reformers' moral stance and the working-class families' urgent economic needs.