LSAT 128, Section 1, RC Passage 3, National Identities

RC Passage 3 Explanation

Paragraph Summaries

1. Cultural accounts are shaped by human biases that influence what is included and excluded. For example, the identity of Greek culture was previously revised to hide other influences than European culture.
2. European colonial powers used “tradition” to legitimize their authority, e.g. Queen Victoria’s designation as Empress of India.
3. Colonized nations also reshaped their precolonial past to foster nationalist movements.
4. Even after independence, imperialist attitudes persist, but cultures are now more widely recognized as interconnected and hybrid rather than monolithic.

Analysis

The main takeaway of the passage is in the last paragraph: culture and national identities are more interconnected and fluid than past narratives have tried to portray.