Reposted from a post by Ashaie on discord: https://discordapp.com/channels/316367213256900609/400838112344801280/545719573513502724
I. Questions of Place.
Describe the geography of where your society calls home.
Describe the climate your society deals with. How severe are their seasons?
What kinds of natural disasters has this society gotten used to?
What importance (spiritual or cultural) do people ascribe to the geography?
How do people feel about local landscapes being altered or used for a purpose other than what is traditional?
What are the most commonly-grown foods?
What are the most commonly-eaten meats? What foods are considered exotic or expensive?
What forms of alcohol are common? Rare?
Is there usually enough food and water for the population?
What is this place's most abundant resource?
What is its most valuable resource?
What resource is it most lacking?
How do people travel from one place to another?
Are the borders secure? In what way?
How many people live here?
Where in this place do they congregate?
What part of this place do they avoid? Why?
What are the most common domesticated animals here? And what are they domesticated for?
What are the most common wild animals? How are wild animals treated?
Which animals are likely to be pets? Which ones won't be?
What are the most common domesticated plants here? And what are they used for?
What are the most common wild plants here? What are they used for?
II. Questions of Race and Ethnicity.
What are the chief races in the region?
What are the chief ethnic groups of each race in the region?
How are they distributed in place?
How do they differ by language, appearance or ancestry?
What jobs do the chief ethnicities primarily occupy?
Are any groups denied work because of racial or ethnic heritage?
What are typical attitudes of the native (or majority) ethnos to immigrants and other ethnicities?
How has any variety of ethnicity in the region changed the society’s culture?
III. Questions of Family.
How many spouses may a man or woman have?
Who decides on a marriage?
Can a marriage end in divorce? How?
Who usually takes custody of children if a marriage ends for some reason?
How are families named?
What happens to orphans?
How are boy and girl children treated differently?
What, if anything, is considered a good marriage gift?
What inanimate or sexless things are considered male or female?
Does this society connect the ideas of marriage with love?
How big are families, typically?
What constitutes a household?
How many people live in one household? How many generations?
Are girls or boys preferred and why?
How common is domestic violence? Is it understood to be a problem, or a normal aspect of family life? If it is seen as problematic, what is being done about it?
IV. Questions of Faith.
Is the culture religious or nonreligious?
What are the major religious groups in the region?
What are some of their core doctrines, dogmas, beliefs and practices?
What is the overall cosmology and eschatology in religious terms?
Is religion a cause of dissatisfaction, dissention or hostility in the region?
Are religious traditions and any scriptures oral or written in nature or a combination?
V. Questions of Labour.
Describe any kind of division of labour, such as into physical versus mental versus spiritual.
Is there any especial prestige attached to some category of labour or a particular job?
What jobs are considered mucky or are particularly depreciated?
What professions or activities are considered masculine?
What professions or activities are viewed as feminine?
What are usual working hours? Are there days of rest or holidays?
How does this differ between different jobs?
VI. Questions of Marriage.
How is a marriage defined?
How is a marriage contracted?
What is the term of a marriage contract?
What gifts are considered appropriate or inappropriate for a wedding?
How are marriages celebrated?
What is considered too great a difference in age for a couple?
Do relationships allow multiple partners?
VII. Questions of Sex.
How does your society define incest? Rape? How do people react to these?
What secret vice is believed to be widely practiced?
What secret vice actually is practiced?
What sexual habits are widely believed common among foreigners?
How do people react to homosexuality? Is it frowned on? Encouraged?
Are premarital sexual relations allowed? Extramarital?
How is adultery defined? What (if any) is the punishment? Who decides?
Is prostitution legal? How are prostitutes viewed? Is this accurate?
What is the greatest sexual taboo? Is sex confined to marriage? Or, is it supposed to be?
Are there secular laws that control or restrict sexual behaviour?
At what age is it considered normal to engage in sex?
Are there taboos against sex with children?
Should sex be a one-to-one experience? Or are groups allowed?
