In a 1984 book, Claire C. Robertson argued that, before colonialism, age was a more important indicator of status and authority than gender in Ghana and in Africa generally.
Robertson’s hypothesis in determining status and authority- Before colonialism
AGE > important indicator > GENDER (in Ghana and Africa in general)
British colonialism imposed European-style male-dominant notions upon more egalitarian local situations to the detriment of women generally, and gender became a defining characteristic that weakened women’s power and authority.
Colonialism- Gender became a defining characteristic.
Subsequent research in Kenya convinced Robertson that she had overgeneralized about Africa. (Q2)
Before colonialism, gender was more salient in central Kenya than it was in Ghana, although age was still crucial in determining authority. In contrast with Ghana, where women had traded for hundreds of years and achieved legal majority (not unrelated phenomena), the evidence regarding central Kenya indicated that women were legal minors and were sometimes treated as male property, as were European women at that time.
elaborate on the difference of gender domninance bwteeen ghana and kenya
Ghana- women traded and had legal majority
Kenya- women legal minors- treated as male property
Ghana was impacted to a higher degree as women in Kenya had low authority before colonialism too. (Q3)
Factors like strong patrilinearity and patrilocality, as well as women’s inferior land rights and lesser involvement in trade, made women more dependent on men than was generally the case in Ghana. However, since age apparently remained the overriding principle of social organization in central Kenya, some senior women had much authority. Thus, Robertson revised her hypothesis somewhat, arguing that in determining authority in precolonial Africa age was a primary principle that superseded gender to varying degrees depending on the situation.
Factors leading to women’s dependence on men
Thus she revised her hypothesis after identifying all the stated factors. (Q4)
1)R argued on something,
Subsequent research made R to believe something else,
based on that belief R modifies her hypothesis.
Hence, B is correct. As it clearly depicts that R took a position and subsequent research forced her to change her hypothesis.
2) The passage indicates that Robertson’s research in Kenya caused her to change her mind regarding which of the following?
Ans- caused her to changer her mind regarding over generalization about Africa. As seen through the passage, women in kenyan society were treated as legal minors and sometimes as male property. This shows the gender played a prominent role in determining authority in kenyan society even before colonialism.
Since the question mentioned "research in Kenya," we should zero in on the portion of the passage that discusses this research, lines 18-24:
"Subsequent research in Kenya convinced Robertson that she had overgeneralized about Africa. Before colonialism, gender was more salient in central Kenya than it was in Ghana."
Compare this with R's initial theory (note that this is conveniently located near the beginning of the passage, in lines 3-7): "Before colonialism, age was a more important indicator of status and authority than gender in Ghana and in Africa generally."
R has learned that even before colonialism, gender was more important in Kenya than she'd thought it was in Africa generally. This leads us straight to C.
3)The passage suggests that after conducting the research mentioned in the highlighted text, but not before, Robertson would have agreed with which of the following about women’s status and authority in Ghana?
Ans- After conducting the research she would have agreed that she over generalized and gender had played different role in ghana and kenya. Women in Ghana were more independent as compared to women in other African countries (see Kenya), so colonialism affected their lives the most, since they went from independent to legal minors. " "In contrast with Ghana, where women had traded for hundreds of years and achieved legal majority (not unrelated phenomena), the evidence regarding central Kenya indicated that women were legal minors". Hence B.
4)The author of the passage mentions the status of age as a principle of social organization in precolonial central Kenya in the highlighted text most likely in order to
Ans- “Thus” she revised her hypothesis after identifying all the stated factors. (Last line). Hence E.