Question

Anthropologist Oyèrónké Oyěwùmí holds a postmodern view of gender. She reports that the Yoruban society of West Africa was a genderless society prior to the arrival of Western researchers. If that is indeed the case, why did the researchers find evidence of a gender system upon their arrival?

Answer 1

Answer:

The researcher's preconceptions shaped their interpretation of what they saw.

Explanation:

The answer is

The researcher's preconceptions shaped their interpretation of what they saw.

Preconceptions are normally defined as   conceptions or opinions that are  formed earlier of what is called as “true” experience or knowledge.

Thus they are treated as biases or prejudices  in forming a scientific concepts. From the point of cognitive psychology, preconceptions may be defined as the learner’s prejudice schemas of phenomena and objects.

Thus the Western researcher who arrived at Yoruban society of West Africa had a preconception in their mind that the society of Yoruban was a gender based society.

Thus the answer is --

The researcher's preconceptions shaped their interpretation of what they saw.