Based on kai erikson's research, the puritans' execution of women suspected of being witches represented a continuing attempt to define and redefine the boundaries of their community.

That statement is true.
As it turned out, many of those 'witches' that executed by the puritans were simply a group of women who conducted scientific experiments in their pursue of science. This give the indication that the society did not appreciate women who took a role as intellectuals in that period