Question

Five jumbled up sentences, related to a topic, are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a coherent paragraph. Identify the odd one out and key in the number of the sentence as your answer:

• A. The logic of displaying one’s inner qualities through outward appearance was based on a distinction between being a woman and being feminine.
• B. 'Appearance' became a signifier of conduct - to look was to be and conformity to the feminine ideal was measured by how well women could use the tools of the fashion and beauty industries.
• C. The makeover-centric media sets out subtly and not-so-subtly, ‘good’ and ‘bad’ ways to be a woman, layering these over inequalities of race and class.
• D. The denigration of working-class women and women of colour often centres on their perceived failure to embody feminine beauty.
• E. ‘Woman’ was considered a biological category, but femininity was a ‘process’ by which women became specific kinds of women.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

To identify the outlier sentence, analyze the coherence and thematic connections. Reviewing each:

1. The notion of external appearance reflecting inner qualities was predicated on differentiating 'woman' from 'feminine'.
2. 'Appearance' evolved into a proxy for conduct, equating looking with being, and measuring adherence to feminine ideals by women's engagement with fashion and beauty industries.
3. Working-class women and women of color frequently face disparagement due to their perceived failure to meet feminine beauty standards.
4. 'Woman' was defined biologically, whereas femininity was a 'process' through which women achieved specific identities.
5. Media focused on makeovers, both overtly and subtly, dictates 'good' and 'bad' female conduct, superimposed on existing racial and class disparities.

Upon examination, sentences 1, 2, 3, and 4 focus on femininity, appearance, and societal expectations for women, specifically how external presentation aligns with societal ideals. Sentence 5 deviates by concentrating on how makeover-centric media influences societal perceptions of women, with particular attention to racial and class inequalities. While connected to the broader theme, its emphasis is distinct.

Therefore, the outlier sentence is:

The makeover-centric media sets out subtly and not-so-subtly, ‘good’ and ‘bad’ ways to be a woman, layering these over inequalities of race and class.