Darrell recently graduated from college with a degree in Business. At 23, he feels on top of the world. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, he sees an opportunity to use his degree and return back home to Oregon where his father ran a successful logging company for almost three decades. His dad has expressed interest in handing over the business to Darrell, and the son feels that he can transition the company into the modern era with improved technology and sustainable practices that do not deplete the environment. Most of all, however, Darrell is looking to bring Tori, his high school sweetheart, back home with him to start a family and live in the hometown where they both grew up. While the two were on-again, off-again during their time together in college, he remembers the conversations they had before moving away for school about how they wanted to come back home and start a family together after college.

Tori is also a recent graduate of the same school as Darrell and is excited to get started with her career. While she was never really sure of what she wanted to “be” during most of her time in college, she took an internship during the summer before her senior year in government and really liked it. She did so well, in fact, that her supervisor recommended her to a colleague in New York City who offered her a job and a place to stay for the year. After visiting the city, she fell in love with it. She has had all of her senior year to decide on the move but has hesitated on bringing it up with her parents and Darrell. She knows what both of them will say and fears hurting them.

Answer the questions below on the next page. Responses should be at least one page long and no longer than two. Make sure to provide strong evidence for your answer such as definitions of concepts, examples of them in the story, and potential conversations because of them.

• How does culture play a role in how the two see the world?
  • Be specific with your reasoning and examples of support
• It feels like the two are drifting apart, yet they both feel some sort of connection or obligation to the other. Does a conversation need to happen between them?
  • Be specific with what concept would help the two communicate clearer

Answer preview

Culture is defined as the way of life, which entails the values and beliefs shared, language, attitudes, religion, laws, lifestyles, and artifacts. Culture is passed from one generation to the next through communication with one another. Perception, on the other hand, refers to the awareness of the events, people, and objects with the help of senses. Plainly, it is how we see the world. In this case, culture plays a role in how Darrell and Tori see the world in the following ways…