Many women in Western society, aware of the power of names to influence identity, are aware that choosing how to identify themselves after marriage can be a significant decision. They may follow the tradition of taking their husband's last name, hyphenate their own name and their husband's, or keep their birth name. One fascinating survey revealed that a woman's choice is likely to reveal a great

Question

deal about herself and her relationship with her husband. Women who took their husband's name placed the most importance on relationships, with social expectations of how they should behave rated second and issues of self coming last. On the other hand, women who kept their birth names put their personal concerns ahead of relationships and social expectations. Women with hyphenated names fell somewhere between the two other groups, valuing self and relationships equally. Female forms of address influence others' perceptions as well as shape the self-concept and behavior of the women who choose them. Research conducted in the late 1980s showed that women who choose the title Ms. give the impression of being more achievement oriented, socially assertive, and dynamic—but less interpersonally warm than counterparts who prefer the more traditional forms Miss or Mrs. The author's main purpose in writing this passage is to

a. discuss what the names women use reveal about themselves.
b. contrast women who use their husbands' last names with those who don't.
c. tell why some women refuse to use their husbands' last names.
d. list characteristics of the average married woman.

Answer 1

A