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-= Neripi Ethnographical Questionnaire =
-'''[[Dr. Zahir’s Ethnographical Questionnaire]]''' was compiled by David Zahir to help in the description of [[conculture]]s, and can be found in the files section of the [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/conculture/ Conculture group at Yahoo].
-__TOC__
-== Questions of Place ==
-=== Describe the geography of where your society calls home. ===
-From their home city of Neripi, the Kurora people claim 97% of the territory on planet Teppala, but only have settled about 10% .  Even of this, control is very weak outside the coastal strip from around 35N to 46N and 5W to 14E. This page is intended to deal with the people who live in the five coastal nations, but because they have spread themselvse throughout the empire as explroers, some info deals with the other parts of the empire as well.  I will call this Goga for now (Kuroras for "core") but will almost certainly change the name later on.  This was a name that was actually used by the natives at some point, but was primarily intended to distinguish them politically from the much poorer areas of the empire rather than being a cultural designation.
-Like Pusapom, Goga (and hte Kuroras empire in general) is an interspecies society in which humans are just one of many civilizations sharing the territory.  However, unlike Pusapom, interspecies contact is limited, so humans mostly live with humans and don't even see the firebirds, hedgehogs, wolves, and bears with whom they share their power on a daily basis.  Part of the reason for this is because whereas Pusapom (or at least its capital, Blop) is in the nexus of the natural habitats of many different animals, Goga has a distinct series of biomes where the natural habitats of the animals dont overlap much.  Apart from humans, who are adaptable to nearly everything, much of the territory of the Goga empire is uninhabitable for the other sapient species.  E.g. firebirds can't deal with temperatures above 70F, yet there are areas of Goga where it is over 100F almost every day.
-There are also dolphins, but they (obviously) do not come on land very often.
-=== Describe the climate your society deals with. How severe are their seasons? ===
-The climate of the Coastal Strip is much milder than the Poswob cities to the east.  Average winter temperatures range from about 38F at the northern extremity to 55F at the southwestern border with Tšabas, and summer temperatures range from about 51F to 65F respectively.  However, like the US Pacific, the cool summers are for the immediate coast only and it is much warmer and drier inland.  Even just a few miles from the beaches, temperatures of 100F (in the north) and 110F (in the south) are not uncommon.
-=== What kinds of natural disasters has this society gotten used to? ===
-There is not much to fear in nature here.  There are no volcanoes, no major earthquakes, no hurricanes, no tornadoes, no blizzards, no sandstorms, no hailstorms, no floods, and no mudslides.  Even thunderstorms only happen once a year or so.  The biggest threat that comes from weather is really the lack of storms (i.e. drought) that they otherwise depend on to grow vegetables.  But even then, they're right on the coast and it's not hard to find fish in the ocean even when the weather is terrible.  Nor would the people suffer from malnutrition if they were forced to live on fish for a year or two.
-=== What are the most commonly-grown foods? ===
-Despite the abundance of fish available to them, the Goga diet consists primarily of fruits and vegetables.  Most of these are grown inland, where the climate is warmer and sunnier, and then imported into the cities which are just a day's journey away.  The farmers who grow these foods generally are not as wealthy as the urban Gogas despite government subsidies.  But they are wealthier than the people who live by themselves without the subsidies.
-=== What are the most commonly-eaten meats? ===
-Gogans will eat pretty much anything except humans.  They will even eat the meat of animals such as dolphins which on this world are sapient and have civilizations all their own without any human presence.  The other animals do not like this, and sometimes attack Gogans and other Kuroras settlements, but the Gogans are not pacifists and are well prepared for attack.
-=== What foods are considered exotic or expensive? ===
-Tropical fruits which cannot be grown natively (except in greenhouses with great difficulty).  The Goga people prefer to buy from the Poswobs rather than the southern limits of their own empire.  This is for political reasons; the other Kuroras peoples are a threat to the Gogas; the Poswobs are not.  Some people own greenhouses in which tropical fruits can be grown, but this is both expensive and delicate, since the glass can easily be smashed, ruining the entire year's crop in one minute.
-=== What forms of alcohol are common? Rare? ===
-=== Is there usually enough food and water for the population? ===
-The Goga people generally rely on food imported from places nearby, though as above, they could live on fish if they were desperate (indeed the poorer segments of society already do).  This is because they are primarily urban and have reached a population density far higher than the land is capable of supporting.
-=== What is this place's most abundant resource? ===
-=== What is its most valuable resource? ===
-Metals to make weapons and other machines used by other nations.
-=== 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? ===
-The population is about 1 million (human), divided relatively evenly between the five nations that make up the Goga Alliance.  Within these states, the vast majority of the population is urban, and the inland wilderness is so thinly settled that many of the local animals dont even know that the humans are there.
-=== Where in this place to 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? ===
-There are no true domesticated animals in the Goga Empire, or for that matter on planet Teppala.  All sapient animals are self-sufficient and will deal with humans as equals and not as "subjects".
-=== What are the most common wild animals? ===
-=== Which animals are likely to be pets? Which ones won't be? ===
-== Questions of Time ==
-=== How far back does this society's written history go? ===
-=== How far back do its people believe it goes? ===
-=== What is the worst disaster they believe they've faced? ===
-=== What was the best thing that every happened to them? ===
-=== What in their past makes them feel ashamed? ===
-=== What in their past makes them proud? ===
-=== What are they afraid of happening again? ===
-=== What are they hoping will happen? Do they think it likely? ===
-=== What do they assume the future will hold? ===
-=== How has this society changed? Do its current members realize this? ===
-=== What are the most popular stories about the past? ===
-=== Who in the past is the greatest hero? The worst villain? ===
-=== Do people think the present better or worse than the past? ===
-=== Do people believe the future will be better or worse than the present or past? ===
-== Questions of Sex and 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 is adultery defined? What (if any) is the punishment? Who decides? ===
-=== How are families named?(g) What happens to orphans? ===
-The Gogans use a patronymic system similar to that of Earth; sometimes both parents' names will be put into the surname if it is a large city where there might be a lot of people with the same name.
-=== How are boy and girl children treated differently? ===
-The Gogans overthrew a Feminist-Pacifist government long ago, and have since then seen feminism as a backward trait associated mostly with people who are just barely earning enough to survive.  Thus to them feminism is "conservative" and masculism is "modern".  Gogans are also highly individualistic, much unlike Poswobs who seldom talk about anything smaller than a nuclear family.  Thus men are generally more powerful than women in this society, and as children boys are considered more important. Nevertheless, they are put through a much tougher childhood than girls because they are the ones responsible for defending the nation and cannot be "sissies".
-=== Are premarital relations allowed? ===
-=== How does your society define incest? Rape? How do people react to these? ===
-=== What, if anything, is considered a good marriage gift? ===
-=== What secret vice is believed to be widely practiced? ===
-=== What secret vice actually is practiced? ===
-=== What sexual habits are widely believed common among foriegners? ===
-Pretty much any sexual deviation is associated with foreigners since they are seen as physically defective.  That does not mean that they actually blame foreign influence for the presence of sexual deviancy among Gogans, however.
-=== How do people react to homosexuality? ===
-=== How do the genders dress? ===
-=== Is prostitution legal? How are prostitutes viewed? Is this accurate? ===
-=== What professions or activities are considered masculine? ===
-=== What professions or activities are viewed as feminine? ===
-=== What inanimate or sexless things are considered male or female? ===
-=== What is the biggest sexual taboo? ===
-=== Does this society connect the ideas of marriage with love? ===
-=== What does this society mean by the word "virgin" and how important it it? ===
-== Questions of Manners ==
-=== Who speaks first at a formal gathering? ===
-=== What kinds of gifts are considered in extremely bad taste? ===
-=== How do younger adults address their elders? ===
-=== What colors are associated with power? With virtue? With death? ===
-=== If two men get into a fight, how is this supposed to be resolved? ===
-=== If two women get into a fight, how should that be resolved? ===
-=== When is it rude to laugh at something funny? ===
-=== What kinds of questions cannot be asked in public? In private? At all? ===
-=== How do people demonstrate grief? ===
-=== What does this society do with their corpses? ===
-=== What kinds of jewelry do people where? And when? ===
-=== Who inheirits property? Titles? Position? ===
-=== What happens to those suffering from extreme mental illness? ===
-=== What are the most popular games? How important are they? ===
-=== What parts of the body are routinely covered? ===
-=== How private are bodily functions like bathing or defecating? ===
-=== How do people react to physical deformity? ===
-=== When and how does someone go from child to adult? ===
-== Questions of Faith ==
-=== Is there a formal clergy? How are they organized? ===
-=== What do people believe happens to them after death? How, if at all, can they influence this? ===
-=== What happens to those who disagree with the majority on questions of religion? ===
-=== Are there any particular places considered special or holy? What are they like? ===
-=== What are the most popular rituals or festivals? ===
-=== What do people want from the god or gods? How do they try and get it? ===
-=== How do their religious practices differ from their neighbours? ===
-=== What is the most commonly broken religious rule?(i) What is the least-violated religious rule? ===
-=== What factions exist within the dominant religious institutions? How do they compete? ===
-=== Are there monastic groups? What do they do and how are they organized? How do you join one? ===
-=== How are those who follow different faiths treated? ===
-=== What relationship do religious and political leaders have? ===
-=== What superstitions are common? What kinds of supernatural ===
-events/beings do people fear?
-== Questions of Government ==
-=== Who decides whether someone has broken a law? How? ===
-=== What kinds of punishments are meted out? By whom? Why? ===
-=== How are new laws created or old ones changed? ===
-=== Is there some form of clemency or pardon? What is involved? ===
-=== Who has the right to give orders, and why? ===
-=== What titles do various officials have? ===
-=== How are the rules different for officials as opposed to the common person? ===
-=== How do government officials dress? ===
-=== Is the law written down? Who interprets it? ===
-=== Once accused, what recourse does someone have? ===
-=== Is torture allowed? What kinds? ===
-=== How are people executed? ===
-=== Who cannot rise to positions of leadership? ===
-=== Is bribery allowed? Under what circumstances? ===
-=== What makes someone a bad ruler in this society? What can be done about it? ===
-=== What are the most common or dangerous forms of criminal? ===
-== Questions of War ==
-=== Who declares war? ===
-=== Who has the power to declare conditions of peace? ===
-=== What happens to prisoners taken in battle? ===
-=== What form of warfare does this society use? ===
-=== Who are the Elite warriors? What distinguishes them? ===
-=== How does someone get command of troops? ===
-=== Where do the loyalties of military units lie? ===
-=== Are there professional soldiers? Do they make up the bulk of the military? ===
-=== Has this society ever attacked another? Do they want to? What would make them do so? ===
-=== Who are their enemies? Who's winning? ===
-=== What do soldiers do when there's no war? ===
-== Questions of Education ==
-=== Does this society have its own language? Its own writing? ===
-=== How common is literacy? How is literacy viewed? ===
-=== What form and value are books? ===
-=== Who teaches others? How do they teach? ===
-=== Who decides who learns to read or write?(f) Who teaches professions, like carpenter or scribe? ===
-=== Are foreigners ever brought in to teach new skills? Who does that? ===
-=== How do this society's doctors try to treat wounds and sickness? ===
-=== Which medical assumtions of this society are wrong? ===
-== Questions of Art ==
-=== What are the favorite artforms? ===
-=== What are the least-favorite? ===
-=== How respected are artists? ===
-=== Do artists require official or unofficial protection? ===
-=== What kinds of trouble are artists in particular likely to find themselves in? ===
-=== How might a very successful artist live? ===
-=== What forms of theatre does your society have? ===
-=== How naturalistic or stylized is your society's art? ===
-=== What shapes are most common in your society's arts, like embroidery or architecture? ===
-=== Which artforms get the most and least respect? ===
-=== What form does censorship take? ===
-=== Who may not be an artist? ===
-=== What qualities equal "beauty" in this society? ===
-=== What makes a man or woman especially beautiful? ===
-=== How do people react to tattoos? Piercings? Facial hair? Make-up? ===
-== Questions of sex and marriage ==
-=== Is sex confined to marriage? ===
-=== Or, is it supposed to be?  What constitutes aberrant behavior? ===
-=== Is there anything about this culture or religion in that culture that specifically addresses sexual conduct? ===
-=== Are there laws about it?  What about prostitution? ===
-=== How old should someone be in your culture to be having sex? ===
-=== What is considered too great a difference in age for a couple? ===
-=== Do relationships allow multiple partners? ===
-=== Should sex be a one-to-one experience? Or are groups allowed? ===
-=== And, of course, what about homosexuality?  Is  it frowned on? Encouraged? ===
-== Questions of death and burial ==
-=== What is their understanding of death and dying? ===
-=== Do they cremate their dead? Or, how are dead bodies disposed of? ===
-=== Is the family  responsible for the body? ===
-=== What part do the priests play? ===
-=== Are there cemeteries at all? ===
-=== Or, does everyone have a crypt in back  with all the relatives in it? ===
-=== Do people visit the dead?  If so, how often and why? ===
-== Questions of suicide ==
-=== What do people in this culture think about suicide? ===
-=== Is it the greatest sin one can commit?  Or is it a sin at all? ===
-=== Is it the great and last comfort of a tormented soul? ===
-=== Is it worse than murder? ===
-== Questions of Law, Justice and Police ==
-=== Is there a civilian police force, or is law enforcement the province of the military? ===
-=== Is the police force a nationalised one, or are there multiple regional forces? ===
-=== How "military" are they?  Are they usually/ever armed? ===
-=== What is the extent of their authority?  Can they shoot you? Can they use magic? Can they torture or otherwise force a confession? Can they use telepathy? ===
-=== Are there individuals or groups who are above the law? ===
-=== Is there a secret police? ===
-=== What is the role of police informants, if any? ===

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