Proposals for extending the United States school year to bring it more in line with its European and Japanese counterparts are often met with the objection that curtailing the schools' three month summer vacation would violate an established United States tradition dating from the nineteenth century. However, this objection misses its mark. True, in the nineteenth century the majority of schools closed for three months every summer, but only because they were in rural areas where successful harvests depended on children's labor. If any policy could be justified by those appeals to tradition, it would be the policy of determining the length of the school year according to the needs of the economy. The argument counters the objection by

The correct option is (C) arguing for an alternative understanding of the nature of the United States tradition regarding the length of the school year.

Explanation:

Note: This question is no complete as it does include the group of answer choices. The complete question is therefore provided before answering as follows:

Proposals for extending the United States school year to bring it more in line with its European and Japanese counterparts are often met with the objection that curtailing the schools' three month summer vacation would violate an established United States tradition dating from the nineteenth century. However, this objection misses its mark. True, in the nineteenth century the majority of schools closed for three months every summer, but only because they were in rural areas where successful harvests depended on children's labor. If any policy could be justified by those appeals to tradition, it would be the policy of determining the length of the school year according to the needs of the economy. The argument counters the objection by

The argument counters the objection by

(A) providing evidence to show that the objection relies on a misunderstanding about the amount of time each year United States schools traditionally have been closed

(B) calling into question the relevance of information about historical practices to current disputes about proposed social change

(C) arguing for an alternative understanding of the nature of the United States tradition regarding the length of the school year

(D) showing that those who oppose extending the school year have no genuine concern for tradition

(E) demonstrating that tradition justifies bringing the United States school year in line with that of the rest of the industrialized world.

Explanation of the answer is now provided by analyzing each of the options as follows:

(A) providing evidence to show that the objection relies on a misunderstanding about the amount of time each year United States schools traditionally have been closed

The time frame provided was, as far as we know, correct and accurate. Therefore, this option is out.

(B) calling into question the relevance of information about historical practices to current disputes about proposed social change

Inconsistent, which makes it tricky. The data used is accurate and pertinent to the topic. The data used is accurate and pertinent to the topic at hand. However, the error is the use of a parallelism between the practice of a tradition a century ago and the practice of the same tradition today that youngsters are no longer required to work over the summer.

(C) arguing for an alternative understanding of the nature of the United States tradition regarding the length of the school year

Indeed, the reasoning demands us to abandon the reasons that shaped tradition in the first place, despite the fact that such reasons no longer apply. This is therefore the correct option.

(D) showing that those who oppose extending the school year have no genuine concern for tradition

This is not within the scope.

(E) demonstrating that tradition justifies bringing the United States school year in line with that of the rest of the industrialized world

This is not within the scope.