A Questionnaire for Building Purpose-driven Worlds

 

The Evolving Questionnaire:  

Questions:   One of the typical tools used by those who would like to create an imaginary world is to use a questionnaire.  The questionnaire compiles questions orginating from the most important disciplines in the sciences, arts, humanities and social sciences that can serve as an organizer for the various specific and relevant details that are important to consider when describing a world in which a story unfolds or in which an immersive experience purports to happen.  There are many questionnaires you can refer to in books or online to get started in Worldbuilding.  Through the semester we will be assembling a questionnaire specifically designed for this course that will attempt to address not only the organization of the material elements that create an effective environment for stories and experiences to unfold, but questions that help address the ethical questions about best practices in what and how to represent these worlds and the people and cultures in them.    

Creating the Inventory 
The initial set of questions in the questionaire are focused on the nature of the planet on which the people in your project will reside.  The specific answers you create for the questions on the questionnaire is what we call "The Inventory."   We are going to begin by creating an inventory for your world by opening up a blank document in Microsoft Word (or another word processor you are used working with.)  It is easiest to work in a word processing document to create your Inventory but you will be asked to submit the Inventory document three times during the semester including once at the mid-term and once for the final review during the last week of the course.  The inventory will be submitted as a pdf file.  Microsoft Word easily converts a document into a pdf file for submission so we recommend you use that program which is available for download onto your Ringling issued laptop or tablet. 

There are three worlds available to host your cultures and societies.  Specific data for these three imagined exo-worlds are:

World One:  A rocky planet, very icy with lots of tectonic and volcanic activity.
World Two:  A mostly water world with small continents in the form of island archipelagoes
World Three: A world very earth like in an orbit like Mars with a year and seasons twice as long as those on earth.

 Go to the information page for the planet/moon you have chosen and copy the relevant information from there into your word document to start creating your inventory. Then, once you have transferred the relevant and important astronomical data, start answering the questions in the Questionnaire writing specific and detailed answers to as many of the questions as you can.  The more specific and detailed your answers are, the better visualized a world you can create.  

Macroworld Questionnaire
Answer these questions and write the answers into your inventory document.  Make sure you save your document periodically so you don't lose your work.  Come to this week's Zoom session prepared to discuss your world and to ask questions you may have about it. 

 Part One: Planet

• What do the people who live on it call your Planet or Moon? This is the name we will call it in your inventory.
• What kind of Sun(s) are there?  What types of radiation do they emit and what are the effects of that radiation on your planet?
  
• How strong is the magnetic field of your planet and what are some of the possible effects of this field?  
• What color is the sky on your planet?    Why?
• How many planets are in your system and how do they affect your world?
• Are there spectacular constellations, comets, nebulae or other astronomical phenomena visible at night or even by day?
• What is the gravity situation on your world and how might that affect lifeforms who live on it?
• What is the climate like on your world's most habitable zones?  How does this affect lifeforms on your world?
• What are the most extreme climates on your world?  What kind of lifeforms might inhabit these extreme climate zones?
• What continents or other landmasses exist that might support life?
• If there is more than one moon or sun, how does this affect winds, tides, and weather generally?
• What kinds of natural disasters are usual on this world?
• How geologically active is your world and how does that affect lifeforms on it?
• What are seasons like on your world and the length of year?  How does that affect life on your planet?
• How are the continents laid out?  You can make a map to show us.
• How much land is there, and how much of it is habitable by humans?
• How much land is in each of the equatorial, temperate, and polar zones?
• Where are major mountain ranges, rivers and lakes, seas, deserts, forests, jungles, grasslands and plains?
• What are the best zones on your planet for human habitation?  What are they like?
• What has happened your world's past to shape its current conditions? 
• Has human habitation done anything to change the climate, atmosphere or ecology of your world? 

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 Part Two: Ecosystems 

• Are there Forests or something somewhat like forests?
• Are there tropical areas, grasslands, plains or something like them on your world?
• What significant ecosystems are there in different regions of your world? 
• In what ecosystems do the humans live?
• What plants or animals or other lifeforms are already occupying the ecology in which the humans live?  Describe some of the most important ones.
• What elements in their environment can the humans use to sustain life?
• What are the provisioning services that the environment can provide, what products, building materials, bio-chemicals, genetic resources, fuel? 
• What resources are there for agriculture, aquarculture, foraging, and what services do humans need to provide to sustain those resources?
• Are there ways they the humans can manage their impacts on the elements in their environment the humans need?
• What is the climate of your planet?   If it has seasons what is the temperature range (normal highs and lows and extreme highs and lows of individual days and seasons). 
• What are your seasons if they exist?  Is it a two-season system – wet and dry, or wind and calm, sun and shade?  Or is it a four or five or six season system? 
• How long are the days and what percentage is light or dark and in between?
• What is the worry factor?  Is it tornados, hurricanes, fires, drought, heavy rain, floods, hail, blizzards, mud slides, rock falls, dust storms, earthquakes, volcanoes, sand storms, strong winds that blow from one direction for week at a time, or is it the rapid change from one weather event to another or just a few larger predators? 
• How frequently do the humans encounter these events?  How do you tell seasonal time – do you use the change of the sunrise and sun set along the horizon, do you use the stars, to you use the lifecycle of plants or animals?  If you do not have a seasonal clock how do you know when to look for what type of food or prepare for the coming season?
• What is the atmosphere and density of your planet? 
• Will there be a genetic (survival) advantage to those individuals that have traits that allow they to deal with heat or cold better?  Or a slower digestive system?  Or a different visual or auditory sensitivity?  Or a more sensitive palate to be better able to determine when food is at peak nutrition?

Humans Arrive

Humans have not evolved on your world they have come there from elsewhere.  Here are questons that have evolved from the fact of there arrival and the impacts they will have on your world. 

• What part of the native ecosystem have the humans displaced in order to establish themselves?
• What supplies did humans bring with them? What are those items? Are they tools?
• Are they some kind of edible? Are they basic materials – cloth, rope, pieces of metal? Did they bring seeds? Pets?
• Did they bring items of personal or cultural value? Will any of the things they brought be viable in the new environment?
• How are your humans going to meet their primary needs of drinkable water, safe edible food, breathable air, shelter, heat/energy?
• How is knowledge shared? Text? Oral Tradition? Stories? Carvings? Pictograms? How do the humans insure that future generations can decipher the communication system?
• How is information and knowledge gained?
• Do your humans move as a herd or do some explore while others establish a base?
• How are the responsibilities shared between genders and ages?  Nobody has the opportunity to do nothing.  Everybody has to contribute to the survival of the group.  Do children gather fuel?  Does one gender gather water and maintain the site while another produces or procures food?  Or is the work divided along family lines?
• What new diseases are present?  On your planet whom do humans learn from?  Some of our early medicines were ‘discovered’ by watching what large mammals did when they were sick or injured.  On your world what did they eat, what did they rub on their wounds?
• How does the diet of your humans change through out the year? 
• Is food always available or does food have to be stored some how?  How do you learn how to store things?  How do you learn what is safe to eat? 
• How do you identify and protect critical components of the ecosystem? 
• How well and how fast are your humans learning and protecting the interactions of species on your planet so that the planet stays viable to the humans and all the other biological, geological and physical components that make your world habitable for humans?
• And what do you do with human waste – physical or biological?  Does that become a problem over time or is it reincorporated into living fabric of the planet?

Humans Adapt to Your World

• Humans are an invasive species on your planet. What controls have humans put on themselves to ensure they do not destablize the ecosystems in which they live and sustain themselves?
• How are humans controlling their population?
• Are there any species on your world that are predatory on humans and help control their population?
• Are there any species on your planet that humans regard as prey or that humans cultivate or husband as food resources?
• What controls do humans have to keep from overusing those resources?
• What are humans doing to control their poopulation?
• How do the humans on your planet think about their relationship with all the other species on their planet?
• Do you regard other species on your planet as things to exploit?
• Even though you are invaders here, are other species your relations?
• Do humans on this world feel a part of the interconnectedness of the ecosystem?
• What are the stories humans tell about some of the other species on your planet/moon?
• What is the great story humans tell of what changes they had to make to become one with their new home?
• What species on your world have humans mimiced to assist their survival or the survival of their culture? What have they mimiced? How have they mimiced it?   

Colonialism and Diversity

• How do humans on your planet organize themselves? By geography? By kinship systems?
• Do humans live and occupy land in proximity to others based on cultural differences and practices?How do humans on your planet share space and land?Are there national boundaries? Negotiated land use practices? Are there nation states or culture formations?Does your planet have territorial designations and distinctions to map out land?How does your planet map land use and occupation? Are there geopolitical rules? Intercultural exchanges?To what extent do hierarchies exist on your planet?Are there cultural hierarchies? Linguistic? Physical? Are there hierarchies based on physical, mental, or cognitive differences and disabilities?
  
• What kinds of human diversity exist on your planet?
•  How does human diversity manifest in social, political, and cultural realms? As in, what does human diversity look and sound like? What does it feel like?
• How do species on your planet organize the work of sustaining life? Through institutions? Collective community care? Localized services?
•  Are there physical, mental, intellectual, and/or cognitive differences and disabilities for humans on your planet?
•  How do humans on your planet understand bodily and mental differences?
• What cultural and social biases do humans bring with them to this planet?
•  Are there cultural and social norms related to bodily and mental differences?
•  How do human social norms shape lived experiences for humans who deviate from those norms?How are humans/species integrated in society with different kinds of physical, mental, intellectual, and cognitive differences?
  
• What opportunities are there for humans and multi species to add value and expertise through different abilities and skill sets that may not be universal? Are there universal experiences on this planet?
  How do humans on your planet form distinct identities through experiences?
  
• How do humans on your planet form distinct identities through experiences?
• How do humans and species interact and engage with each other?
• How do humans and multi species learn from each other?
• How do humans and multi species share land and resources?

Power, Conformity, Obedience

• What relations of hierarchy exist in your society?  If not, how are institutions, social relations structured? (e.g., law enforcement, does it exist? military structures, are they necessary in your world?)
• What factors affect obedience to authority in your society?  What laws, legal frameworks, etc. exist?
• Is hierarchical structure actually important in counteracting chaotic social outcomes?
• Is obedience powerful or underdeveloped in your society?
• What are considered to be legitimate forms of power and authority in your society?
• Are there social movements and what kind of functions and issues are they working toward?

Representing Gender and Sexuality

• Do the humans on your planet conform to earthly binary gender norms?
• How many genders are there? Maybe there’s only one, or maybe there are an infinite number of genders.
• How do humans or multispecies reproduce?
• How do humans prevent reproduction?
• What kind of sexualities exist? Are certain genders allowed to be attracted to each other and not to others (homosexuality vs. heterosexuality)? What are the possibilities for non-sexual connection (asexuality)?
• Are there sexual norms for sexual activities? Are there romantic norms for dating or long-term partnership? (i.e., compulsory monogamy vs. polyamory)
• How do gender expression and sexuality meet?
• Are the gendered expectations of humans different at different stages of their lives (i.e. childhood, teenagerdom, young adulthood, adulthood, end of life)?
• Are there any gendered rites of passage? (i.e., menstruation rituals, weddings, circumcision, marriage)
• Do people gather and/or form communities based on shared identities associated with gender or sexuality?
• How do the buildings and other spatialized structures reinforce gender or sexual norms? Are the specific buildings meant for specific genders? (ie., bathrooms).
• What kind of objects or locations in the world are associated with particular gender identities or sexual orientations? (i.e., clothing, grooming, sports, professions)
• How are gender or sexual norms of your planet policed? Is it by government means or through the politics of respectability? Or is there gender/sexual anarchy, acceptance, or something in between?

Representing Cultures

• What do the humans on your planet believe about themselves?How do they choose to represent themselves? (in art, photos, writing, public space, etc.)
• What do they believe about the origins of their people?What are their values?
• How would you describe their heritage? (art, foodways, customs, religion, games, material culture, architecture, stories etc.)
• How do they prefer to communicate?
• How do they record their history?
• What are their desires for the future?
• What assumptions might outsiders make about the humans on your planet? Why?
• What assumptions might the humans on your planet make about outsiders? Why?

Architecture and the Built Environment
Make sure you know the answer to these questions before starting to design your pavilion.

• What kind of economic system(s) exists in your world?
• a. Communal ? b. Individualistic ? c. A combination of them ? d. Something else ?
• What is your society’s attitude towards nature? a. Embraces nature ? b. Rejects nature ? c. Does not see a nature – built environment opposition ? d. Something else ?
• How does your society deal with its waste ? a. Processes it away to special places ? b. Re-uses it ? c. Lives with it ? d. Something else ?
• At what level of industrial development is your society ? a. Pre-Industrial ? b. Post-Industiral ? c. A Combination ? (like “steam punk,” where electricity never happens) d. Something else ?
• What level of gravitational force exists in your world? a. Same as Earth ? b. More than Earth ? c. Less than Earth ? d. Something else ?

Developing Specific Worldbuilding Background

There are basic questions that underlie the practice of contemporary anthropology.  When confronted by an observed phenomenon the observer is instructed to ask:

• How can this be?
• What would the world have to be in order for this to be so?
• What is the lifeworld in which I am dwelling?

While fashioned to provide a means to examining field observation, the same questions serve as a guide to how to create deep and conceptual background behind any element you want to place in your World.

Representing Culture Through Objects:

• How do the objects on your planet reflect the identity of the inhabitants?
• What power dynamics exists between your inhabitants?
• Who chooses which objects go on display? What criteria do art objects have to meet?
• How should the objects be "framed"?

Questions to Develop Empathy

• How large is your circle of empathy? Who/what is included?
• Is there anyone you wouldn't want to be in your world?
• To what extent are rights based upon abilities in your world?
• To what extent is your world structured around a scarcity of resources?
• Is your world primarily altruistic or egoistic?
• To what degree are identities and roles in your world based upon survival considerations?
• To what degree to the arrangements in your world carry forward those that evolved on your journey to the world?
• How equally are resources distributed in your world?
• Is anyone left out of the good life in your world? Why?
• Who is the worst person in your world?
• Is anyone regarded as "defective" in your world? How are they treated? Who decides this?
• Who gets featured in your theme park?
• Who gets to decide how they are represented?
• Who is excluded from the representation?