RC Question 21 Explanation, by LSATHacks
DISCUSSION: All the answers talk about a woman, so that doesn’t help narrow things down. Remember that “social group” is for someone who doesn’t fall under the categories listed in lines 6-8.
We’re looking for someone being persecuted because she is a woman.
___________
- This person isn’t facing discrimination because she is poor. She may not even be facing discrimination (unequal treatment). Maybe almost everyone is poor and starving in that country.
- Racial discrimination is explicitly prohibited, so there’s no reason for this women to apply under “social group”.
- Religious discrimination is explicitly prohibited, see lines 6-8.
- CORRECT. She is facing persecution for being part of a social group. Because she is a woman and is standing up for herself, she faces discrimination.
- Political discrimination is explicitly prohibited, see lines 6-8.
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Thanks for the explanations- they’re a killer resource!
That said, I think I’d like to add to this one. According to the passage, the UNHCR report specifically states that the social group category should be used for women facing inhumane treatment for *violating social mores* (like arranged marriage).
To simply say she is persecuted because she is a woman standing up for her rights seems a little overstated given the explicit specification of violating social mores by the passage.
Hope it’s worth considering!
Your point is well-taken, however, arguments can be made for answering this question on the basis of two sections of the passage. We can answer it on the basis of lines 46-51, as you’ve pointed out. But, that doesn’t mean that the explanation overstates the case; it’s simply referring to the fact that women rejecting accepted norms in their countries re: arranged marriages are facing gender-based discrimination on the issue and consequently also fall under the category of a social group as it is defined in lines 37-45. It is specifically because she is a woman standing up for herself on this particular issue that she faces discrimination and persection.