Social Politics

[Pretzel Heart]

Next we'll take a closer look at where you'll be staying.

How Dare You Show Ankles in Public!


We will use this thread to detail some of the social views held by the majority of Roserasians. Of course, in some communities things may be different, especially for Witches and arie who have their own histories and cultures. If there's some other topic you'd like to explore, don't hesitate to generate some discussion in the 'Political Gossip' thread. ​

 

[Pretzel Heart]

✥ Same-Sex Partnerships ✥
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Romance in Human Communities​

While not inherently a social taboo, there are some stigmas against those who enter into permanent same-sex relationships. Roserasia as a whole tends towards a very family-oriented culture, for humans and arie alike. This is partially due to society's tribal origin, and pride from the fact that civilization came from human communities banding together. Groups, such as neighborhoods or villages, tend to keep each other in check, supporting one another when the chips are down, and expecting that same support in exchange. Judgement may not always come with legal retaliation, but it may impact the way individuals are received in their communities and their ability to get help and thrive. This type of busybody, lending-a-hand mentality is echoed over areas as widespread as the whole continent all the way down to the domestic level. Conformity tends to be valued over individuality, though to varying extents. This is simply because, in a premodern world, working together is the best way to survive. In this vein, the human custom of marriage was engendered as a way to formally bind families together. It is a sign of maturity to choose a life partner, and an important step in becoming an accepted member of society. The assumption is that you marry the person you want to raise a child with. Because of all this, any person who does not marry and have children is looked down upon, including those who choose to remain single, the infertile, and those who enter into same-sex partnerships. While some "tomfoolery" is forgiven in one's younger days, it is assumed that marriage (and therefore children) is the ultimate end goal of any mature adult. As of this time the ceremony is reserved for birthing-capable couples, and there are frequent reports of marriages being annulled for those unable to produce offspring. However, outside of potential dirty looks from neighbors or communal shunning (though, again, depending on the country and community, the extent and consequences vary), same-sex partnerships aren't really something most people pay attention to, and there's no widespread legal regulations. While child rearing is an important societal expectation, as long as one can keep up with their duties and remains an active member of their group, the cost of choosing an alternative lifestyle may be low. Some such couples may choose to offset their social perception by taking in orphaned children or similarly showing their commitment to the community. Such actions are generally well-received, though there are exceptions. Then again, for those of royal blood, where the pressure to carry on family bloodlines is absolute in order to secure power and the right to rule, there is much more backlash against refusal to marry and bear children. In some cases, tendency towards alternative lifestyles for royalty may end in the abnegation of the heir, or something even more nefarious...

Dancing in Human Communities​

The type of partner dancing that is most common among humans today is actually said to originate from ancient arien mating rituals, which early humans just didn't understand. They blindly copied what they saw, attracted to the visually appealing motions, fluid elegance, and raw passion of the dances, and just assumed that the partners needed to be male-female. Over the centuries lore has developed over the two types of dance partners, with an almost mythic symbolism attached to the "lead" (almost exclusively male) and "follower" (almost exclusively female) dancers. Actual schools of thought have been established around these points, with dance schools and auteurs driving home "lead" masculinity and "follower" femininity, creating a rift between gendered expectations that has greatly impacted human society as a whole. However, in recent years, thanks to social revolutions in Rameria and the Sea Republic, the assumed establishment of these traditions has been brought into question, and the old roles challenged. While same-sex dance partners are still largely uncommon, they are becoming less so and more socially acceptable...though the level of acceptance in some circles may still depend on the partners' alignment to old ways of thoughts about "leaders" and "followers." While the Cendrillion Ball has, for the past 8 years, allowed same-sex dance partners to compete, the prestigious Thorarinn-Fulco Dance Heritage Competition sticks to tradition, and sees same-sex dance partners as being unsightly, going against the true protocols of beautiful dance.

Romance in Arien Communities​

Like humans, arie have a strong emphasis on community and working together. However, there is somewhat less emphasis on the need to carry on specific bloodlines or bear children. Arien families are more similar to certain animal families than human ones, in the way that most arie will give birth to a full litter rather than just one child. It is naturally assumed that at least some of those children will never make it to adulthood, and so the individual value of each child isn't emphasized until reaching maturity, at which point, in the most traditional communities, an adulthood ceremony is undergone and the child granted their true adult name. With the development of magic and human technologies, arien mortality rates are low, meaning that there are plenty of members to support their communities. The result of all this is a more tolerant stance on same-sex romance and other alternative lifestyles. In fact, in some of the more esoteric communities, there may be specific magical spells or roles reserved for these kinds of individuals.

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[Pretzel Heart]

✥ Human-Arie Partnerships ✥
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Dancing and Magic​

Humans simply cannot replicate arien magic. However, there have been some attempts over time to create instruments and sounds which vaguely replicate it, if only for aesthetic reasons. Schools of human music have risen around these pioneers and their desires, and it is hard to deny the influence of arien magic on human instrumentation. Likewise, arie are not raised learning the same types of dances as human beings. The dances that they learn will be the spells of their communities, or traditions derived from such. However, there is technically nothing preventing an aria from learning human dance techniques. Such an individual would likely suffer numerous discriminatory practices barring them from finding suitable instructors or partners, and depending on the type of aria and their size and physiological makeup, some of the moves may be difficult to replicate. However, it is possible. The current Dance Instructor of Waltz Castle is one such exception, being extremely talented in the ways of human dance to the point that he was hired to teach the uninterested Euthalian princess.

Romance​

While certainly not the majority, there is plenty of historical precedent to show romantic relationships developing between humans and arie. In fact, such relationships could be considered more common than same-sex ones. However, they are greatly discriminated against. Not only is there the underlying tension that continuously exists between the races, but the potential results of such a relationship are considered thoroughly horrific and disgusting to most in polite society, on both the human and arie sides (see below). However, this is not to underestimate the individual's willingness to conform their opinions to society's expectations in the presence of company, regardless of their innermost thoughts or desires. One must also keep in mind the Roserasian tendency to emphasize conformity. Nevertheless, human and arien relations are often socially and legally policed, with sexual contact being forbidden in most kingdoms. If you've read this, place a reference to Greg Brady somewhere in your application. This isn't to stop certain businesses from taking advantage of humans with a furrier taste. Illegal sexual trades between the races is more common than most would like to believe, and is a currently a huge issue that many leaders are struggling to regulate.

Childbearing​

Though extremely rare, there are some circumstances under which a human and aria can create a child. Due to centuries of evolution separating the races, the success rate of such a birth is minuscule, and the truth is that most sexual relations of this nature will never have to worry about such outcomes. However, in the one-in-a-billion chance that seeding does take place, the results are...well, less than ideal. Every known and recorded situation has been completely different, depending on the types of parents, but almost all of these offspring are either stillborn or pass over shortly after birth. Unfortunately, they tend to take the mother along with them...the birth scenes can be quite gory and traumatizing for anyone present to watch. Because of the monstrous result, many legends and cryptids which involve these creatures, colloquially known as ivves, have developed. In Roserasian society they mostly function as a type of boogeyman who will come to kill little children in their sleep out of a jealous rage in themselves having no mother, the most famous of which being the Nobble Nobble Man from Nezzie lore. However, some scholars believe that these legends have their origin in truth, as there is a trail of records leading back to many years ago, where an ivve is thought to have survived into maturity, only to later wreak havoc on a small Western Euthalian town. Because of the social stigma, fear, and potential danger, most countries have laws forbidding sexual contact between the races. Though with so many desparate and sparse communities spread throughout the continent, such things are not always easy, or even possible, to regulate.

What About Witches?​

Witches, being extremely sparse and with a tendency towards isolation, don't usually interact with outside communities. However, there has been the rare case of a Witch having relations with a human or aria, mostly in the Lepumir and Nezzie regions where they are most commonly found. Though Witches and aria are related through their magical practices, and some Witches might look strikingly aria-like, they remain largely incompatible when it comes to the possibility of childbirth. Since, as with human and arie, the children are almost always miscarried or stillborn, there are rumored to be a few Witch communities who use these fetuses for the purposes of magic spells and mysterious potions, and thus are considered a precious commodity. There is still a chance of a Witch and aria birthing an ivve, however, and so while government regulation of Witches is nebulous at best, there are still technically laws preventing these kinds of interactions. On the other hand, Witches and humans are physiologically compatible enough to create successful offspring. Because of a great lack in case studies, not much is known about these children, however it seems as though they are all born with more or less human features. Sometimes, later in life, they may develop more Witch-like appearances and start to show signs of possessing magical power. Though without the support of a Witch's teaching, this power may go largely underdeveloped. Otherwise the child will merely live as a normal human being. The possibility of passing on traits to further generations in either instance is still unknown.

 

[Pretzel Heart]

✥ Gender Equality ✥
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In Human Communities​

Gendered relations in human communities are, as one might assume, incredibly complex. Over the centuries the importance of "lead" and "follower" dance partners, and the accompanying spirituality surrounding the roles and expected doctrine of both, have worked to stratify sexes into extremes not unlike those of our world. "Followers" are typically female; expected to have qualities such as docility, subservience, supportiveness; taking the submissive role in a married pair; and being relegated to household duties. On the other end of the spectrum are the "leaders"- typically male; expected to have qualities such as assertiveness, strength, and protectiveness; taking the more dominant role in a marriage; and becoming a provider and guardian of the family and home. Even before the introduction of dance as a human staple, these roles already existed to some extent thanks to the hunter-gatherer lifestyle of early human tribes and the importance of working together to survive. However, centuries of construed philosophy have separated the genders to the current extremities, steadily constructing a society which more often favors the "leaders," considered to be the harder and more important dance role, over the "followers." This is not to say that women do not have a voice. Most legal proceedings do not favor one party over the other, except in cases of heritage, and it is not impossible for a young lady to find employment, depending on her background and locale. There is even a fine history of female warlords, queens, rulers, and warriors, with some countries explicitly including the training of all genders into their programs. Besides, times have changed. Especially over the past 100 years or so, social progress in countries like Rameria and the Sea Republic have challenged archaic ideals. And yet, the differences between nations is indeed severe. For example, gender matters little in Nezzie as long as one can prove their fortitude, while Greedo continues to cling onto ancient traditions for the sake of their religious beliefs. With same-sex dancer partners becoming increasingly visible, there is also a higher amount of dance pairs that choose to "go against the grain," having female leaders and male followers, though, as with same-sex partners, they may be restricted from some institutions and competitions. As always, noble families bear the brunt of this change, and are typically among the most restrictive and last to change their ways. With an era of revolution spreading across Roserasia, however, the future remains bright with possibilities.

In Arien Communities​

As arie are not held back by human ideals of "leaders" and "followers," one might assume that they have a higher level of gender equality. However, this is not always the case. In the more assimilated arien communities, years of learned behavior have patterned them to think along a gendered line. It certainly doesn't help matters that arie are usually hired for work seen by humans to be "fitting" of their sex; females are pressured to go into domestic labor, while males are used for physical activity and in factories. There are also complications due to the fact that arie come in many different forms - a bear-based arien family will have a different relationships and gendered expectations than a mouse-based one, with humans tending to feminize the weaker, more diminutive species while masculinizing the large and strong. Traditionally, however, arie had other ways of delegating tasks between sexes. Some large communal spells still call for a mixture of male and female voices, and in many communities it is believed that female arie are more suited to some kinds of magic while males are better at others, which may or may not conform to human ideals.

In Witch Communities​

While much remains unknown about Witches, and tribal variances are quite extreme, it seems as if generally there is a high level of equality between the sexes. Studies on Witch communities are sparse, though one prominent paper published around 35 years ago claims that there is a imbalance in the race's demographic, with female Witches outnumbering male as high as 5:1 in some tribes. The study claims that this has led to something of a reversal from human standards, with male Witches being seen as those who need protection, and are often relegated to more domestic spheres, taking on characteristics which would more likely fall under the traditionally feminine role of "follower." The validity of these claims needs further substantiation, though from the little the reclusive race has interacted with arie and humanity, it seems to hold up.