Marriage, Gender and the Traditonal Society

Multiple generations make up the traditional family unit in the Owl Republic. It is also the most basic level of social organization, at least before the rise of industry both allowed smaller families and pull the bigger ones apart. The hierarchy in the family also gives us a glimpse into how the more complex social structure of the Early Republic might have arisen.

The order of respect given to an individual is primarily based on age. Also in both the family and wider community, women are usually the more respected group not less due to their longer life span but also the respect for maternal figures prevalent in the region. This veneration for mothers is present from the Western Great Forest all the way to the Prairies under the Rrat mountains. The geographical features, Forest, Mountain and sometimes rivers are universally anthropomorphized as maternal figures that gave birth to and nourish the people. This characteristic can still be seen in today's worship, where the Rrat mountains are still visited by many pilgrims that do not subscribe to the Goddess of Entropy. And by the frequent mention of mountains in poetry or religious texts related to the Nameless One. Even if mothers are respected within the family, it does not necessarily mean they are leaders, in particular as Chiefs in the East. As the Chief are usually elected based on merit and influence, depending on the temperament and culture of a specific Chiefdom, male Chiefs may be elected more than female chiefs. The traditional role of herding is also more heavily associated with male members of the community. Despite this, family elders, usually female are regularly consulted for their opinion. A custom molded by the traditional belief of communal and social harmony. The more developed Western city states flips it over its head. Material contribution to the community and knowledge is how potential leaders build influence and clout. In this setting, female governors are more often chosen. But the more sedentary lifestyle have also given rise to more gendered and rigid conception of the roles one should play in both the family and society. Even when the West still hold female citizens in high regard, as male citizens enter more profitable and powerful roles, the scale of political power tilted more to one side. The more centralized and longer ladder of hierarchy in the West means ruling is usually more based on consent than consultation. The Societies of East and West create a peculiar dichotomy.

Romantic and pragmatic reasons have always been the driving force of marriages that are strictly monogamous in both East and West. Unlike some other societies, marrying off one's children does not entail a strict reciprocal relationship. It has been theories that it is due to the more egalitarian view on sex and gender that has been historically popular in the region. In the harsh environment of the pre-Republic, everyone can be a useful member to the family, and thus value is only placed upon the skillset they bring and the need of the family that's receiving the new member. Negotiation often occurs after the couple had made an agreement to marry, though violent conflict can arise during and after the marriage especially when one side failed to follow the agreement. When a member leaves the family to join another, a long ceremony that symbolized the children had "fledged" is performed. Marriage is less of a political tool in many of the Chiefdoms and city states since once a member of the family had "fledged" they also no longer belongs to it, even though personal contact is still frequent in many cases, depending on the geographical distance. While in a personal sense they are still a part of their original family, it does not oblige any side from committing more than the initial agreement. This fact is also influenced by the deep suspicion many family elders have of anyone that could become a "tyrant", when a family or group becomes too powerful and breaks the Golden Rule, and thus the communal spirit.

In the West, marriage becomes a little more complicated. While in the East, different occupations are less gendered and mostly depend on personal aptitude, the Women and Men in the West often have to endure some resistance when they enter occupations that are usually not taken up by their gender. This entails a sharper divide of social roles, not just between socio-economic classes but also gender, even if the tradition of the region promotes egalitarianism. Though it does not give rise to many ideas of the supremacy of one gender or sex to the other, which again is often explained by cultural norms and mythology of the region. The shaper divide of social roles means the "exchange" of family members becomes more restrictive. Written or oral laws are taken as the highest authority rather than the mediation of chiefs and elders. The closer physical space of the Western communities emphasizes the marriage ceremony itself rather than the fledging ceremony. Cakes and sweets are often consumed.

The more egalitarian thinking of sex and gender would be reinforced by the Founding War. As poets and writers praise the perseverance of the Women in the homefront, taking up the work left by their husbands and brothers, or fierce female warriors fighting for the sake of the Nameless One. Though the number of men in the political scene still outnumbers women slightly, Cizek's research on the subject of voter perception of the sex of candidates shines a light on this particular topic, though it still requires much investigation.

Maslova, Chesna. “Intersection of Marriage and Politics: Gender and Tradition in the Owl Republic.” Notes from the Anthropocene 9, no. 2 (June 8, 1204): 135–46.