For my first topic, since I had just come from a fresh research-binge, I would like to talk about one of the aspects of worldbuilding that's crucial for anyone writing an original novel in an original world, whether it's a dystopian sci-fi or utopian fantasy: social class. A little bit disclaimer might do: I am in no ways a professional sociologist, but I have studied a bit about social class in school, and since I am writing a novel set in a class-heavy world I have researched about it quite a bit. So I know a little about social class.
When writing or reading a novel, I want it to have a little bit of realism, no matter how far-fetched the premises seem to be. Yes, I know, I might be overzealous to demand realism in a novel about magics and elves and orcs, but my point is that no matter how fantastical the world is, it still needs to make sense. Every world must have a good explanation about how they work, even if it involves some artistic license in science or applied unobtanium. A novel with a good worldbuilding, in my opinion, must have a world that is consistent and solid in the context of the novel itself. So even though it may not make sense for it to happen in real life, if the novel gave sufficient evidence of it, then it passes. Too much handwaving and paradoxes (contradictory statements in the novel itself) will lead to plotholes, something that will confuse the reader.
A big part of creating an original world is creating a some kind of social structure e.g. social class. Most novels that I have read have are influenced by class whether they like it or not, from a dystopia with a rigid caste-based system or a utopia where everybody is equal. Some are done quite well, some...not quite so well. It is my hope that anyone reading this will come out having a better understanding of class and social dynamics, and able to write a social system that will not fold like a paper tiger.
First of all, let's break down the social structure. One of the simplest social structures is to divide society into three, neat little parts: the landowning nobles, the merchants who control the means of production, and the people who serve them. This structure works because the nobles own the land, and sometimes the people in it. Nobles protect the land and lead the country, they make the regulations and form governments. Since all of the nobles came from prominent families, they are highly respected and able to hold their position on top of the social food chain because of the power they have over society.
The merchants do not have the same social standing as the nobles, since many of them came from common families who do not own lands. But they own the means of production, and they can produce goods, so that makes them more important than the unskilled labors. Note that though I call them 'the merchants', artisans, craftsman, and skilled labors also belongs to this social class.
Servants are in the bottom of the social food chain, because they do not have lands or means of production. Since they are unskilled labor, the only thing they can do is to be servants to the other two classes.
These kind of class system can be found in pre-industrial society, because more often than not, landowning nobles control most of the capital. Without factories, agriculture is the main employer. Nobles own the land, charge rent from their farmer-tenants, and buy goods for their castle from the merchants. As such, they control the flow of the capital.
During the Industrial Revolution, factories are built and agriculture becomes increasingly mechanized. Suddenly, you need less people to plow the fields and more people to work in the factory. Merchants play a big role during this period, because the main employer has shifted from the nobles' farms to the merchants' factories. Goods are produced faster and cheaper, enabling the merchants to reap big profits.
As such, the class system shifted. It is the merchants who control the capital, and now they dictate the flow of money. Nobles still play a big role in their capacity as leaders, but their influence is greatly diminished. Merchants are still below nobles in the class system, but they're slowly moving up, now that they have money, and they don't like being bossed around by some stuffy old aristocrats who are poorer than them.
(Wealthy merchants vs old aristocrats is actually the basis of the conflict in the French Revolutions. The bourgeois did not take kindly of being bossed around by the aristocrats, and they rebel. I really could write a whole series of blog posts about this, but I digress...)
Which brings us to my second point: class system exists only under the compliance of society. Ironic, right? Here we are trying to get rid of class in our daily life while it's because of us it exists in the first place. Without society's compliance, the class system won't work, deflating like a particularly bad souffle. How do you get society's compliance, you ask? Why, by indulging whichever class is more important on the eyes of society. For example, a religious society may view religious duties as being more important than money and thus hold priests and the clergy higher than nobles and merchants. Militaristic societies may have soldiers on the top, and those pesky diplomats in the bottom. A far-off fantasy world where glass is rare may deem people who has glass marbles more than those who do not.
If you determine what value/commodity your world appreciates the most, then you can start working on your class system based on that. The top is those who adhere to society's standards and has access to those commodity/value while the bottom is those who don't. Then, you can expand the middle ones by determining their relationship in the distribution or flow of those commodity/values. It can be as simple as a three-tier class system or a complex caste system.
And another thing that an author needs to consider is the social mobility between the classes. You have to determine whether it's possible to move between classes, and if so, how? A society without social mobility has a very poor social structure and thus prone to shakeups, which is a good setting for dystopia. Be very careful also when you select traits that determine your faction/classes, especially those who are based on abstract concepts like talents. Remember, just because your father is an amazing painter doesn't mean you can paint.
Well, I think that's about it. I started at a sunny morning and now it's afternoon and rain clouds are starting to form in the sky, how the time passes! With this, I conclude my post and hope that you found something beneficial beneath this jumble of words.
Until next time. xx
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