Dralasite society is very respectful of the individual. The freedom and independence of the person is paramount in the dral mind. Drals typically live alone in small houses with a common court yard. They use this communal places for social gathering. They are very fond of gathering and discussing anything and everything. Having differing opinions is sign of a strong mind and true independence. Meals are prepared and shared in the common. The dwellings are typically occupied by parents, sibling buds, pre-parents (males in gender terms), and elders (neuter drals). A parent may have two or three buds dwelling around the common. Other parents, pre-parents, and elders may not be related.<br />After the parent bond, the most prominent social structure in a drals life is its social school. Social schools are groupings of drals that share common opinions, beliefs, interests, and humor. Debate is the central activity of the social school. The dral parent has a strong influence in a young dral's initial choice of social school. Typically the parent presents its young bud to the school currently favored by itself. Further experience in life and formal education tend to alter a dralasites choice of school. Rare are dralasites who have not been members of dozens of social schools in their life. Membership is granted by common consent and rarely revoked. These schools typically number about a dozen individuals in active membership. Elder drals tend to be the defacto leaders of these schools and when the elder dies the group commonly divides into several groups.<br />Much like human families the social school takes on the care of the young and elderly dralasites. In the school is where a dralasite will celebrate life events such as their budding memory, reception of community speaking rights (gaining one's voice), and death. A dral in need may turn to its companions in all the schools of which it is a member for a little help here and a little help there. Hence the value of many memberships. Young drals wander briefly after budding enjoying their new found freedom and are then naturally drawn back to their parent seeking guidance and parenting. This is the time that a dral is introduced to the parent's school for membership.<br />Education is pursued separate from the social school in large rounds with professional teachers. A few years after budding formal education is begun. Young dralasites advance through progressively formal rounds for about ten years until they have been deemed by their teachers to be educated enough to keep up with society. Specialized training, if any, is undertaken after one's rounds. Dralasites are fond of traveling far, even off world if they can work up the means, to pursue their specialized training.<br /><br />What are some other ways people see dralasite society? I'm sure there would be cultural variation.<br /><br />-iggy<br />
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