empAθos Social Structure
The first thing that is noticeable in empAθos society is that there doesn't seem to be any gender based dichotomy. Where non-empAθos societies usually divide social roles between males and females, there aren't any such distinctions placed upon empAθos individuals. Dualities based upon reproductive gender have no place in empAθos culture since an individual's emotional context carries more meaning in relation to the kinds of contributions that the individual may be able to make to the community. empAθos do not even refer to each other as males or females, boys or girls, men or women, etc. Such designations are only relevant in the arena of reproduction, but have little relevance, if any, in the day to day functions of the community.
An empAθos individual is raised to define their own role by testing each area of contribution until they find the self-definitions that best suit them. These definitions are also expected to change over time, as the individual progresses through life, shifting in a fluidity that benefits both the individual and the community. To serve as a guide, empAθos people have described six emotional genders for their children to explore, and leave the door open for the individual to define others, if one of the six do not adequately serve their emotional needs. The emotional context that the individual embodies helps to define the tasks and duties that the individual would be most productive doing. Individual interest is also involved in making these choices and based upon careful personal exploration and evaluation, the individual ultimately defines their own social role.
One major feature of this social structure is that no one is held as being in authority over another. empAθos communities are deliberately kept small, and the population of each community is carefully controlled to maintain a balance. In a small community an individual's contribution carries more influence, and is valued all the more than it would be if the individual were lost in a large crowd. The need for a constabulary, judiciary, legislature, or executive office is diminished in a smaller population where everyone knows each other and where everyone can offer support to the needs of each individual. empAθos communities resemble large families where the older generations offer guidance to the younger, and where the younger generations test their limits as individuals under the watchful care of the older.
Unlike Non-empAθos families, children are seen not as possessions of their parents, but as individuals in their own right, with all of the commensurate responsibilities and benefits. Expectations are based upon each individual child's abilities and interests, and are defined in partnership with the child, rather than as authoritative parental dictates. Discipline is developed through a emphasis upon consequence stemming from an individual's actions, and children are taught to make appropriate decisions by first realizing that they must live with the consequences, and that they might bring harm to themselves and others if their decisions are made recklessly. Children are taught to raise questions, and to analyze situations with logic and reason.
Everyone has a voice in the affairs of the community. Even children are allowed to contribute to the decision making process in an empAθos community. As an exercise in democracy, empAθos communities show a great sense of inclusivity for their populations. However, to call an empAθos community a democracy is a bit simplistic. empAθos have a saying, "Chose that which works for you, and file the rest for future reference." If the community is faced with a decision, and divides into factions regarding which direction to take, they don't simply take a "majority rule" stance and follow only one path. Instead, they view each path as an option to be tried, and allow experimentation and interpolation of the resulting data to help provide clues as to the consequences of each path, then make their decisions as an entire community, as to which path will best fulfill the needs of each and every individual. If those needs are in conflict, they seek a balanced approach that will provide some relief and/or satisfaction to everyone involved until such time that complete fulfillment can be found for all without continued conflict. (The closest thing to an expletive in empAθos language is their word for "conflict".)
Balance is the primary goal of an empAθos community. As balance is maintained, each individual is then able to engage in self exploration and self-definition as a means to achieving personal growth and fulfillment.
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