Question

Unlike nomadic societies, early civilizations were patriarchal. This shift occurred for all of the following reasons EXCEPT ______________________.

• A. Women were often pregnant and too involved in child care to participate in other activities
• B. Plow-based agriculture required more manual labor
• C. Men were less important in the household, allowing them more time to participate in political and economic activities
• D. Many women became prostitutes and this led to a loss of respect and equality
• E. The growth and importance of professional armies

Answer 1

The correct option is A Women were often pregnant and too involved in child care to participate in other activities

• Patriarchy is defined as a social system in which the father is the head of the family and men have authority over women and children.
• The reason that society became more patriarchal was because women were the carriers and bearers of children. In the beginning, women were honored for this but it became a disadvantage later on.
• Also a very big portion of the Mesopotamian laws, such as the Hammurabic code, had many laws emphasizing limits and inferiority of the women. Because of this many women were looked down upon and treated as property and a way to keep the civilization going and pass on the family name.