When Karuna Movvagh returned home from school and told her parents that she had been invited to the Valentine's Dance by Dominic Capo, they flipped out. There was much yelling and general carrying on. "Don't you know who he is?" Mr. Movvagh asked. "He's a Capo, and they are all liars, cheats, and cowards." Karuna explained that Dominic was different: he was very nice, kind, and considerate. Karuna reported that she liked Dominic very much, and she was eager to go to the dance with him.
Mr. and Mrs. Movvagh absolutely forbade Karuna from seeing Dominic Capo. They threatened that if Karuna ever went out with him, she would be "grounded for forever." Didn't she realize that her father had arranged for her to marry another young man in a few years? The practice of arranged marriages was a tradition in their family. Going out with Dominic Capo would be an act of unfaithfulness in many ways. Mr. Movvagh described Karuna as selfish and ungrateful.
Karuna had been very careful in obeying her parents' wishes, especially concerning serious matters. Respect and obedience to parents was a central value in the Movvagh family. Although Karuna desperately wanted to go to the dance with Dominic, she did not want to defy her parents.
What should Karuna do? What courses of action are available to her? List the possibilities, and explain the advantages and disadvantages that would result from each choice. In the end, make your recommendation, and explain why this is the best choice. As you work in your group to decide what to do in this situation, complete the following steps:
1. List the possible courses of action that Karuna could take.
2. What are the possible advantages and disadvantages that could result from each course of action?
3. What course of action could solve the problem in the most constructive way? Why?
4. What course of action would be the most destructive? Why would you characterize the choice as destructive?
5. Compose a letter to Karuna. Explain what you understand the current problem to be. Let her know that you've thought about the problem by identifying several actions she could take. Identify the best course of action, and explain why it is the best in the sense that it will offer the most benefits and the fewest disadvantages.
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