Worldbuilding: Inter-Group Relations
If the world you’re building has more than one group of people or creatures (and it probably should, if it’s not the center of the plot), you need to consider how they interact with one another. What does each culture/group think about other groups/cultures?
Social Norms
Which laws and norms in one culture are reviled in another, and which are envied? To answer that question, you need to define their laws and norms.
What defines criminal behavior? How are criminals charged and punished?
Does the culture’s predominant religion consider certain actions to be sinful? This is also a good time to define religious differences between groups and how it affects their interactions.
How are sinners treated by religious leaders and society alike?
Perhaps you have two groups with the same religion, and one is more orthodox than the other. How does this affect their interactions?
How are gender roles defined? Furthermore, if one group is matriarchal and another is patriarchal, how do they interact with each other?
What values the culture holds dear.
What behaviors are generally considered to be improper or immoral. What constitutes a social faux pas?
Communication politics: when is it proper to speak? To whom is it proper to speak? How do people speak, in terms of address and in terms of tooics considered proper among certain audiences? How do answers to these questions differ by social class?
Moral and ethical standards derived outside of religion
Values and how it affects their moral and ethical actions, especially as it relates to economy and equality; for example, is strength or compassion valued more highly? Is wealth or generosity valued more highly?
Language
How do different groups communicate with each other, especially if they have different languages? First, we need to define the language amongst each culture. You don’t need to come up with a word for every word in the dictionary, just enough to make the language servicable to the story.
What languages do people speak? In other words, give it a name!
Do most people speak more than one language? If so, which ones? Is there a correlation between the prevailing second languages in one culture and the cultures they have relations with? What role do translators have in diplomatic relations?
Is there a common language (like scientists have a common language for naming plants and animals)? For trade?
How do people greet each other?
What is considered a rude gesture?
How do they curse? Do they invoke gods? Do body parts (like the middle finger) play a role?
What titles/formalities are used?
What is a gesture of respect (eg bowing, saluting)?
Consider other parts of language, like gestures, mannerisms, dialect, forms of written communication, accepted attributes and manners of speaking, and unique technologies
Trade and Conflict
What resources abound within the territory belong to each culture?
How might these cultures use their resources to barter, trade, or otherwise increase their wealth and ensure a certain quality of life?
What is each culture’s monetary system? Do some cultures share a monetary system (like the euro)?
Are there multiple currencies?
Is there widespread trade?
Is there widespread conflict? If there is, you should consider which countries are allies and which are enemies, and why.
How long ago was the most recent war? How damaging was it? What caused it?
To see more on worldbuilding, check out my worldbuilding tab!
