The following text is from a historiography article.
Microhistory emerged as a corrective to grand narratives that obscured individual experience. By focusing on a single village, trial, or individual, microhistorians reveal textures of everyday life invisible in macro-level analyses. Yet the approach raises methodological questions: can atypical cases illuminate broader patterns? The tension between exemplarity and representativeness remains unresolved, making case selection a critically reflexive practice.
What is the primary purpose of the text?
To dismiss microhistory as an invalid historical method
To describe microhistory's contributions and methodological challenges
To compare different microhistorical case studies in detail
To provide instructions for conducting microhistorical research
Correct Answer: B
Choice B is the best answer. The text describes microhistory's contributions (revealing everyday life) and its methodological challenges (exemplarity vs. representativeness).
- Evidence: The text notes contributions: "reveal textures of everyday life invisible in macro-level analyses." It notes challenges: "raises methodological questions: can atypical cases illuminate broader patterns?"
- Reasoning: The passage highlights the value of the method while acknowledging its inherent difficulty.
- Conclusion: The purpose is to describe contributions and challenges.
💡 Strategy: Summarize: Zoom in (Good for detail) vs. Is it representative? (Bad for generalization).
Choice A is incorrect because microhistory is valued, not dismissed. Choice C is incorrect because specific studies aren't compared. Choice D is incorrect because research instructions aren't given.