Introduction to the Rajputs Essay Example for Free

Introduction to the Rajputs Essay A Rajput is a member of one of the landowning patrilineal clans of central and northern India. Rajputs consider themselves descendants of one of the major ruling warrior groups of the Hindu Kshatriya varna ( social order ) in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India. The Rajputs rose to prominence during the 6th to 12th centuries, and until the 20th century Rajputs ruled in the â€Å"overwhelming majority† of the princely states of Rajasthan and Saurashtra, where the largest number of princely states were found. They are divided into three major lineages. The Rajput empire spread in many countries: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, India, Southeast Asia and some parts of Tibet. The four Agnivanshi clans namely the Pariharas (Pratihara), Solankis (Chalukya dynasty) Paramaras and Chahamanas rose to prominence first, establishing territories and creating kingdoms. The Rajputs were mainly feudal lords under the over-lordship of the rulers belonging to Pratiharas – a dynasty that ruled until the 10th century. Gradually, they attained the status of independent rulers. Their dominion spread over most parts of north India. In the north-west region known as Rajputana, which comprises the present day Rajasthan and parts of Pakistan. The Rajput community comprised of the Chauhans of East Punjab, Northern Rajasthan and Delhi, the Rathores of Uttar Pradesh, the Paramaras of Central India and the Tomars of Gwalior and later, Delhi. Of these the Chauhans and the Rathores were dominant clans. The Rajput though brave and chivalrous often succumbed to inter-clan rivalries, which proved advantageous for the Muslim rulers during the medieval period. The Rajputs being a dominant Hindu clan offered heavy resistance to the Muslim rulers who spread their rule over India during the medieval period. The Rajput princes maintained their own independent princely kingdoms. Some of the brave Rajput rulers who have been made their names eternal in Indian history are Prithviraj Chauhan, Rana Kumbha, Rana Sangram Singh, Rana Udai Singh and Maharana Pratap. Prithviraj Chauhan proved to be the last Rajput ruler of Delhi. The Chauhans, led by Govinda, grandson of Prithviraj, later established a small state centered around Rathambore in present-day Rajasthan. The Rajput lifestyle was designed to foster a martial spirit, with men even forging a bond with their sword. The double-edged scimitar known as the khanda was a popular weapon among the Rajputs of that era. On special occasions, primary chief would break up a meeting of his vassal chiefs with khanda nariyal, the distribution of daggers and coconuts. Many Rajputs are nostalgic about their past and keenly conscious of their genealogy, emphasizing a Rajput ethos that is martial in spirit, with a fierce pride in lineage and tradition. The Rajput rulers had a keen sense of beauty in art and architecture which is seen in the artistic excellence of their temples, forts and palaces. The Indo-Aryan style of architecture developed in North India and Upper Deccan and the Dravidian style in South India during the Rajput period. Both sculpture and architecture attained a high degree of excellence. e.g. The Rathas of Mahabalipuram or Mammallapuram, the Kailash temple at Ellora and the sculpture of Elephanta belonging to the early Rajput period ( 600 Ad to 900 AD ) The temple architecture of Orissa, Khajuraho, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and the Pallava, Chola and Hoysala temples in the South belong to the later Rajput period. ( 900 AD to 1200 AD )

Analysis of Indias Cosmetic Industry

Analysis of Indias Cosmetic Industry Cosmetics or Makeup are substances to enhance the beauty of the human body, apart from simple cleaning. Their use is widespread, especially among women in Western countries. Cosmetics, general term applied to all preparations used externally to condition and beautify the body, by cleaning, coloring, softening, or protecting the skin, hair, nails, lips, or eyes. Perfumery is usually excluded from the field of cosmetics. Although perfumes are commonly manufactured in coordination with cosmetics. The use of cosmetics is worldwide and dates from the remotest antiquity. Although it is generally believed that cosmetics as they are now known originated in the Far East, the study of simple cultures indicates that forms of cosmetic beautification have been practiced in every part of the world. The war paint of the Native American, the tattooing and scarification practiced by many peoples (the Maori of New Zealand and numerous African cultures), and the use of woad (a blue dye used by ancient Britons to paint their bodies) are all forms of cosmetic adornment. A large variety of cosmetics are generally available today. Cold cream is an emulsion of various oils and waxes and water; it is employed to cleanse and soften the skin. Face powder and dusting powder are based on talcum (powdered magnesium silicate) and zinc oxide and are used to dry and give a satiny texture to the skin. Lipsticks, either applied directly or brushed on the lips, are made of cocoa butter or lanolin and are manufactured in an endless variety of shades, as are rouges, mixtures of red pigments and starch or finely powdered clay. Bath salts and other bath preparations combine water-softening agents such as sodium carbonate or borax with perfume; bath oils are also a popular skin-softening and perfuming aid. Nail polishes are lacquers or plastics available in many colors. Hair lotions and hair sprays are used to condition the hair, keep it in place, or make it glossy. Shampoos are based on soap or synth etic detergents. Hair-coloring dyes, tints, and rinses, available in many shades and colors, are widely used cosmetic products. Henna is a vegetable dye, used for centuries to impart a red tint to the hair. Weak solutions of hydrogen peroxide are often employed as hair bleaches. For coloring the eyebrows and eyelashes, mascara is generally used. This is a compound of gum and black, green, or blue pigment. Sulfides of calcium and barium have the property of removing hair from the skin and are generally the active agents in cosmetic depilatories. Bronzes are creams that impart a color to the skin similar to that of suntan. Whereas perfumes are not classified as cosmetics, deodorants are. Deodorants may contain an astringent such as aluminum sulfate, which closes the openings of the sweat glands. An antibacterial ingredient, hexachlorophene, was banned from deodorants in 1972. Cosmetics and perfumery are by no means confined to use by women. Grooming aids frequently used by men include powders, colognes, and lotions, particularly alcohol-based after-shave lotions; bay rum, a mixture of alcohol, oil of bay, and oil of orange, originally made with rum; hair tonics, often with an alcohol or quinine base; and deodorants. Annual retail sales of men and women toiletries in the U.S. today make cosmetic manufacturing a multibillion-dollar industry. Cosmetics are designed for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness and altering appearance of skin. There are an ever-growing number of ingredients included in cosmetics that are purported to be beneficial for the skin, but often little information on these ingredients is available. COSMETICS INDUSTRY OVERVIEW The cosmetics industry is a $45-billion-a-year business with thousands of products embodied in 33 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classifications (13,18). Cosmetics are defined by the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act as articles intended to be applied to the human body for cleaning, beautifying, promoting attractiveness or altering the appearance without affecting the bodys structural function .The key words in this definition are intended and bodys structural function. Intended use of the cosmetic must be clearly labeled and if the safety of a cosmetic product is not adequately substantiated for that intended use, the product is considered misbranded and may be subject to regulatory action. The physiological, or functional, altering of the body differentiates drugs from cosmetics. The FDA regulates this difference by not requiring premarket approval of cosmetics. At the same time, however, the FDA does expect that the manufacturer of a cosmetic has conducted toxicological and other ap propriate tests to substantiate the safety of the product and can provide this data if challenged by the agency. While it has become fashionable for some manufacturers to apply the cruelty-free label to their products (indicating that animals were not used during safety testing), this claim can be misleading. In vitro tests and other nonanimal methods for safety evaluation have come a long way and are being used in industry as initial screening procedures. However, given a new cosmetic derivative or a cosmetic incorporating a drug component, a standardized in vivo test, such as the Draize Ocular Irritation Test, may be in order. This in vivo test is still considered valuable in predicting human eye irritants when the irritation is subtle or when the chronic recovery phase data may be equally as important as the initial acute exposure data. Industry, in cooperation with regulatory agencies, has established multiple refinements to obtain the required data while minimizing the potential for pain or distress. Evaluation of the agents pH and the use of the primary dermal irritation tests are routinely used to screen out agents likely to evoke a response beyond moderate irritation (17). Agents having passed the preliminary screening could conceivably go on to the classic test but with the follo wing refinements in place: use of three animals vs. the standard of six; use of smaller volumes of solution installed in the eye; use of one animal to evaluate an unknown and await a response before continuing or discontinuing with the remaining test animals; and use, when applicable, of anesthetics in the eye (10). In part, because of refinements to the Draize Ocular Irritation Test and use of available in vitro methods, the number of rabbits used in the cosmetic industry between 1980 and 1989 was reduced by 87 percent. COSMETICS MANUFACTURING In the fast-paced and ultracompetitive cosmetics industry, the right color, special effects and functionality can mean the difference between success and failure. Engelhard technologists and market specialists understand this dynamic and are dedicated to helping customers create new and innovative looks and textures for their products. For example, Engelhard effect-enhancing pigments enhance the appearance, performance and value of a wide variety of cosmetic products, including lipsticks, mascaras, nail polishes, eyeshadows and blushes. Specifically, these high-performance pigments impart a range of special effects from a soft satin luster to dramatic sparkle, and add subtle dimension and nuance to matte-type products. Our performance personal care materials impart a range of important benefits to cosmetics. These range from providing sun protection and anti-wrinkling power in skin products to providing antimicrobial protection in a wide range of cosmetics. Some product lines include Reflecksà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ pigments and colors, which add brilliant star-like glittter and shimmer: Flamenco ® pearlescent and iridescent pigments, which provide a range of effects, textures and opalescent colors; Duocrome ® iridescent colors for dual-color effects; Cloisonne ® colors, which give lustrous and rich color effects; Pearl-Glo ® bismuth oxychloride pigments; and many others. Engelhard Actysseà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ BG performance actives can impart a new breadth of benefits to cosmetics. And, our performance minerals also are used extensively in cosmetic manufacturing. Products such as Coslin ® specialty performance kaolins are used throughout the industry to enhance oil and moisture absorption, skin adhesion and compressability. Other performance minerals such as mica and treated mica provide other benefits to a wide range of formulations. With such a diverse and technically advanced product range, Engelhard is clearly well positioned to help customers stay ahead of the competition. Utilizing Engelhard technology, customers get products that feel better, look better and work better. And when customers want to create totally new and innovative products and bring them to market fast, Engelhard is the only partner they need. CURRENT PLAYERS IS INDIAN COSMETIC INDUSTRY Baby Products Listings Futura Poly Containers Manufacturers and exporters of baby care products like feeding bottles, nipples teats, sippers, training cups, non-spill cups, sports bottles, bottle brushes, infant toys, teethers and pacifiers. Johnson Johnson Ltd   Suppliers of baby care products such as hair oil, baby powder and also provides medicines for a range of conditions in the areas of gastroenterology, fungal infections, womens health, oncology, nephrology, mental health, neurology and pain relief. RPE Group Distributors of baby feeding teething products, baby feeding spoons forks, baby teething toys, shaving products, batteries, emergency lights and torches. Bonny Product Pvt. Ltd. Producing and supplying baby care products like baby feeding bottles, nipples, baby teats pacifier, infant non topple tumbler, brushes, bibbs and key rattle. Bonny Baby Care Pvt. Ltd. Supplying feeding bottles, nipples, nipple shield, pacifiers, soother, sipper and other baby products. Cosmetics Toiletries Listings Hygienic Research Institute Manufacturers and suppliers of skin care products, lotions, moisturizer, cosmetics, hair oils, hair dyes, shampoos, hair care soaps and depilatories. CavinKare Pvt. Ltd Exporters of cosmetic products, shampoos, creams, perfumes, hair oils and hair-dyes. Raheja International Exporters of beauty cream, face wash, shaving cream, toiletries, talcum powder, nail paint, analgesic, lotions, toothpaste, detergent powder cake, incense sticks and kitchen ware. Bagla Co. (Regd.) Suppliers of nail polish, kajal, eyeliner and nail polish remover. D. C. S. International Trading Company Dealing in supply and export of indian human hair including double single drawn, remy and non-remy for making wigs, hair pieces, toupees, dolls wigs, eye leashes and other human hair products. Shepherd India Eximp Pvt. Ltd. Engaged in the exporting of human hair and also provides hair replacement. Raj Impex (India) Exporters of raw human hair, processed human hair and bleached hair in different shades/colors. Indian Hair Industries (P) Ltd. Dealing in supply and export of beautiful healthy human hair all over the world. Kuria Mal Gopi Chand Exporters of natural henna powder and henna based hair dyes in various colors including black, brown, chestnut, burgundy, mahogany, blond, orange, red and purple. Cosmotech Industries Manufacturers and exporters of talcum powder, nail polishes, perfumes and incense sticks. Pretty Maam Herbal Cosmetics Manufacturers of skin care and hair care products such as tulsi, amla, henna shampoo, aroma hair oil and aroma bouquet fairness cream, etc. Clarion Cosmetics Pvt. Limited Manufacturers and exporters of talcum powder and other fashion beauty products. Vicco Laboratories Manufacturers of ayurvedic toothpaste, powder, skin care products, face wash, sugar free, etc. Chandrika Ayurvedic Soaps Manufacturer and exporter of ayurvedic soaps and shampoos. Lissome Cosmetics Pvt. Ltd. Manufacturer and supplier of cosmetic products including lip and nail colours, face make-up, etc. Cosmetic Product study Fair Lovely Fair Lovely, a skin whitening cream, marketed by Unilever in many countries in Asia and Africa, and, in particular, India. Fair Lovely is indeed doing well; it is a profitable and fast growing brand. First launched in India in 1975, Fair Lovely held a commanding 50-70% share of the skin whitening market in India in 2006, a market that is valued at over $200M and growing at 10-15% per annum (Marketing Practice, 2006). Fair Lovely was the second-fastest growing brand in HLLs portfolio of 63 brands, with a growth rate of 21.5% per year (HLL, 2002). Its two closest rival competitors, both produced by local Indian firms, CavinKares brand Fairever and Godrejs FairGlow, only have a combined market share of 16%. Claiming to possess a customer base of 27 million Indian customers who use its product regularly, Fair Lovely has successfully launched new product formulations from lotions to gels and soaps. Fair Lovely is marketed by Unilever in 40 countries in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, with India being the largest single market. Fair Lovely is certainly doing well financially. Created by HLLs research laboratories, Fair Lovely claims to offer dramatic whitening results in just six weeks. A package sold in Egypt displays one face six times, in an ever-whitening progression, and includes before and after photos of a woman who presumably used the product. On its website the company calls its product the miracle worker which is proven to deliver one to three shades of change (Leistokow, 2003). HLL claims that its special patented formulation safely and gently controls the dispersion of melanin in the skin without the use of harmful chemicals frequently found in other skin lightening products. (Higher concentrations of melanin lead to darker skin.) Emami Hairlife Instant Hair Pack Emami Limited, the Rs. 600 crore personal care and healthcare major,launched Emami HAIRLIFE Instant Hair Pack nationally. Emami Hairlife Instant Hair Pack is a premixed, crà ¨me herbal hair pack enhanced with vitamins and proteins to make hair beautiful and healthy from within. Emami has identified such a need and now makes it possible with the introduction of a breakthrough hair- care innovation Emami HAIRLIFE Instant Hair Pack, which makes hair shinier, easy to manage and look like a million bucks along with revitalising and making it strong from within and all of this in just 10 minutes. KERAHERB11à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢, an advanced herbal formula, ensures optimum action in just 10 minutes, which helps those women who are hard pressed for time and are constantly on the move, women who want to fashionably turn up at every occasion and are looking out for easy solutions to make life less-complicated. CAN INDIA BECOME MANUFACTURING HUB FOR COSMETICS? Pros Cons of current scenario With disposable incomes increasing in India, the country is poised to become a manufacturing hub for global cosmetics luxury brands over the next five years, a report to be released Monday by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci) and Yes Bank said. The report referred to the core strengths in Indias manufacturing sector, and said manufacturing of luxury items could become a $500-million industry in this period. This optimism stems from the fact that global brands like Louis Vuitton and Frette are already looking at India as a manufacturing base for their products, while others are sourcing their requirements from India, the report said. Moreover, the study said, cost advantages, particularly in labour-intensive sectors like leather and accessories would goad manufacturing of foreign brands in the country. The study suggested that in order to promote the luxury cosmetics market, three initiatives were required organizing the sector, promoting standardization and branding organization, and partnerships with international fashion and luxury associations. Corporatization of the luxury cosmetics sector will bring along with it concepts of organized and innovative marketing, leading to large investments, employments and generating additional revenue streams, the report said. Moreover, it said, the luxury sector needed to be treated in isolation with other retail sectors as the dynamics governing it were significantly different in nature. To reach its potential, the Indian retail sector required significant capital, technology and best practices. One of the key steps towards facilitating the development of the retail sector and in accelerating its growth would be to further ease foreign direct investment in the sector. The constant back and forth on policy decision on retail at the centre also acts as a dampener for luxury brands. The Indian tariff structure also needs to be streamlined. India has one of the highest duties and taxes on imported luxury goods, which drive the grey market and duty free purchases, while the stringent regulatory environment impedes investment by foreign brands. The study called for transparency at all levels for duties and taxes, and a thorough revision of rules and regulations. Luxury skincare, cosmetics, hair care, fragrances have emerged as thriving sectors and so remarkably proved that often European or US educated brand conscious Indian women. The customers first encounter at any departmental store like Shoppers Stop, Lifestyle, Essence or mall like Crossroads, Ansals, Metropolitan, often is with fragrances and cosmetic brands thus proving that it is these brands that invite customers to stores. CONCLUSION Global cosmetic industry, a Rs.30000 crore industry, borders are expanding everyday and potential is limitless. The end-user industry of cosmetics and toiletries is amongst the most dynamic industries in world, consistently showing growth rates more than the average GDP growth rate of Europe and displaying an excellent ability to quickly identify and exploit growth areas. As multinational manufacturers seek to generate growth beyond mature core markets, opportunities are opening up in regions around the world. It is a fast-changing industry, with new product launches, new packaging for old products and price pressures that create a tendency towards economy of scale. Where famous brands remain unchanged, presentation becomes even more crucial. Naturally, fashion and beauty fads play a part, hence the so-called essential and natural products. The latest skin creams, facial scrubs, lotions and moisturizers reflect a more fashionable minimalist look for make-up throughout much of the developed world. Changing social attitudes and generally higher disposable incomes also reflect more self-indulgence between both sexes in the use of up-market fragrances and toiletries. With many players in the beauty care industry coming up with innovative products aimed at penetrating into largely untapped markets, the future looks bright. The cosmetic industry worldwide continues to grow. Many companies in beauty care industry are coming up seeking opportunities arising out of the changing environment specifically- socio-cultural and demographic environment, bringing innovative products aimed at merging niche markets and venturing at largely untapped markets. If we look around we find that what existed 20 or 30 years ago has totally changes and the change is transparent Despite of every above fact, this industry faces many challenges-including social, demographic as well as cultural ones. No doubt the changing environment do give opportunities, we have to count deep insight into the sector As a part of change in socio- cultural environment, it includes changes in education, tastes and preferences, urbanization, women empowerment, attitude of people, increased media influence etc. Changes in demographic environment with worldwide population growth, geographical shifts in population, sex composition, household patterns are a must study areas which have potential that can be tapped for expansion and for search of better areas or untapped markets.

Unethical Marketing In The Food Industry Marketing Essay

Unethical Marketing In The Food Industry Marketing Essay 1. Introduction The increase of obesity all over the world has lead to ongoing discussions about the responsibility of the food and beverage industry. Where food used to be a pleasure, it is now beginning to get more and more evil; consumers like to blame the industry for being overweight and diet-related diseases. The marketing departments of the businesses in the food industry seem to be ideal to blame when it comes to the responsibility for the well being of the consumer. False or misleading claims on products, selling harmful products, unfair target marketing and unfair prices: all part of the unethical-marketing fad that is happening at the moment. It is time to take a closer look at these unethical practices. The main goal of this paper is to discuss the responsibility of the businesses in avoiding unethical marketing and, to a certain extent, to take care of the well being of the consumer. To come to this point of discussion, first it is necessary to develop a broad view of what unethical marketing is and responsibility really means. The paper starts with a theoretical view of the meaning of the word ethics: what does it mean if something is ethical? From there, the second chapter is about unethical marketing. The last chapter is about the responsibility: since this is such a broad term, in order to use it in the discussion, a closer look needs to be taken to the different forms of responsibility. After these three chapters, it is easier to come to a discussion about the responsibility from companies in the food industry from the consequences of their marketing. Since the subject is so controversial and there exists many different opinions about the responsibility of the business, it is almost impossible to give a conclusion at the end of the paper. The last chapter therefore contains a discussion whether or not it is possible and necessary for businesses to strengthen their position on the market and to make a better profit using marketing, without hurting the consumer. 2. Ethics Since the term ethics is a so-called normative term with many different possible definitions, it is important to start with a clear definition of the ethics talked about in this paper. Furthermore, this chapter will give insight to the way ethics can be applied in business: what are marketing ethics? 2.1 General One of the most known definitions of ethics is the one from Aristotle: Human actions from the point of view in their rightness or wrongness (Gaski, 1999, p. 316). Ethics should concern personal virtue and with every decision, one should be honest, good and caring. A definition that is so idealistic and simplistic is not helpful in finding a solid definition: right and wrong are probably just as normative as the term ethics. When we try to give a definition of the term ethics it appears from the literature that you can look at it from two different philosophical views, also know as ethical dualism. The first view is the teleological view, also known as the consequentialist view or utilarism, which is based on the results of certain actions taken. Whereas the other view, deontology, is more based on average behaviour and obligations to other people (Gaski, 1999, p. 315). Teleology is based on the ethical valuation of the consequences and deontology has to do with the ethical values of the principles (Van Luijk, 1996, p. 36). Of course there are a lot of philosophers who oppose to this relatively simple classification but since this is the most common, it is not within the reach of this paper to name them all (White, 2003, p. 92). The teleological way of judging ethics is more based on science and has less to do with general norms and values (White, 2003, p. 92): the purpose is to determine if something is good and not if something is equitable, as with deontology (Binmore, 1998, p. 353). The main thought behind teleology is that every new question should be reached and judged with an eye on the future, without looking back at the consequences of similar actions in the past (Brady, 1995, p. 571). It is important to notice that in this way, it is not about a certain action being ethical in itself but really about a judgment of the consequences of the action. These consequences can be judged on whether they are ethical or not by making a distinction between the following two categories (Sidgwick, 2000, p. 253): Ethical egoist (teleological wrong) This person or entity is only concerned with his or her own good and tends not to keep in mind the consequences from his or her action to their environment. They will do everything possible to accomplish the best consequences for them (Vittel a.o., 2003, p. 152). Local or cosmopolitan utilitarism (teleological right) Ethical in a way that behaviour is right when the biggest advantage for the biggest group of people can be reached. This biggest advantage can be seen within companies or within a certain group, local, or for society in general, cosmopolitan (Argawal and Malloy, 2000, p. 143). The other way of judging ethics is deontology, also called formalistic ethics (Van Luijk, 1996, p. 36). In this context one should not take into account the consequences, outcomes or results of a certain action but merely the moral status of the true action taken (White, 2003, p. 92). It is based on a categorical imperative, peoples decisions can be only ethical if they are based on a feeling of free will, not because somebody else forces them to do it (White, 2003, p. 91). Within these decisions people are expected to be rational and personal consequences should play no role in making an ethical decision. 2.2 Marketing ethics Ethics within businesses can be found in many fields, such as accounting, human resources, competition, business-to-business relations and marketing. For now we are only interested in marketing ethics, one of the most popular subjects these days in business studies. Ethics within marketing can be defined as the way in which the moral standards of a company are being reflected on marketing decisions, behaviour and attitudes (Gaski, 1999, p. 316). Within marketing ethics both of the views described above play a role, the idealistic view of the behaviour of a business creates a perfect balance and is known as the Janus-Headed Model (Brady, 1995, p.368). This model is named after the famous Roman god with two faces (one looking forward, and the otherone looking backward) who protected the entrance of Rome. In the model the teleological way is associated with the head that looked forward and Januss head looking backward signifies the deontological way. For the teleologists this means that they tend to look in the future for results, chances and innovations while trying to find a human solution which also covers the best results (Brady, 1995, p. 569). Deontologists do the opposite; they look in the past, or are at least interested in following traditions and written or unwritten laws and rules (Brady, 1995, p. 569). Their decisions and outcomes are based on other decisions in the past. By looking at marketing ethics, corporations engaging in unethical marketing give a slight preference to the head of Janus looking back. As long as their marketing plan complies with the law or codes of conduct of their company and other companies, they see no reason for it to be unethical. They know consumers have the right to know to a certain extent, and they provide the minimum information about the product they sell. On the other hand, they refuse to look from a teleological point of view: creating the greatest good for the greatest number of people (consumers) is often not what they reach with their marketing programs, especially not through their advertising. Unethical marketing in this paper is therefore not something that is against the law, but something that might be harmful to the consumer. It is in the marketing in which the company might be called an ethical egoist with more self-interest than common interest. They do not look at the consequences of their actions (teleological) but only at the right or wrong of their base decisions (deontology). It is not said that this is by definition wrong, and that the corporations should take responsibility for their consumers. Before discussing this, we will first look at some examples of unethical marketing. 3. Unethical marketing In this chapter we will take a broader look at the phenomenon of unethical marketing. This chapter tries to explain what we mean by unethical marketing and how it can be found in the food and beverage industry. 3.1 General To get a better understanding, the first question that pops up is What is marketing and why does it exist?. Marketing is the way in which the products are linked to the consumers: from market research to the ability of the product to penetrate the market. The most known and controversial aspect is putting the product under the attention of the consumer through advertising. The best way to look at marketing is to follow the marketing concept of Philip Kotler. From this concept the purpose of marketing is to discover what the consumers want and to respond by offering the right products, priced in a way where it delivers value to the buyer and profit to the seller. This means that marketing is a mutual concept that is very important for an ongoing economy to satisfy the demand of the consumer (Kotler, 1996, p. 35). This concept raises the question whether or not it is possible to combine social responsibility for the consumer and survival on a competitive market, something we see in the discussion later on. If you follow the concept where the main purpose is to satisfy the demand of the consumer, you can expect that it is sometimes harder for the enterprise to act in an ethical way. By this you can imagine what happens if the consumer wants something that is not good for them, or a product that has negative consequences for society or particular groups of society. Bringing these products to the attention of the consumers by advertising is mostly seen nowadays as the unethical marketing described above. You can think of many forms of unethical marketing, organised in the following way (Gaski, 1999, p. 317): 1. Selling dangerous or harmful products. This contains the marketing of products that are known to be harmful for the consumers, or products with unknown risks that are made attractive by marketing. 2. Misleading the customers. The businesses can mislead their customers with several tricks, for example: oversize packages, undelivered promises, deceptive advertising or personal selling. 3. Unfair pricing. This is the case if the businesses do not respect one or several of the following rules: the consumer should get fair value for money spent, price should be fully disclosed, price should not be artificially high; price fixing is not ethical and neither is predatory pricing. 4. Practices against the law. Businesses should not damage the environment, commit bribery, extend preferential treatment to a customer or manipulate the availability of a product. 5. Behaviour out of own good. This is where the self-interest of the company crosses the border, they should pay attention to providing accessible means for customer complaints, not over-recommend the product quality level to the customer and not humiliate the competitor. 3.2 Unethical marketing in the food and beverage industry Since the marketing in the food industry is all about selling products, the main way to market the product is advertising and labelling, bringing them to the attention of the consumer. The first two of the points described above play a big role. The first one is misleading the customer: it covers a broad range of slick tricks used by manufacturers to sell their products to the public. The second one, selling harmful products, is much worse. Hereby the businesses use the so-called meta-preferences of the consumers as described by the philosopher Kant: the consumer has preferences that are higher than their basic preferences. With food this can mean that the preference of the consumer is to eat everything that is fat and tasty, but above that, the consumer has the opportunity to push the other preference away (White, 2003, p. 97). In the marketing process of these products, the industry understands that if they put enough effort into the advertisement, the consumer will put their preferences aside and they will buy the fatty and tasty product, lead by these meta-preferences. Before we answer the question of who is responsible for undermining the temptations of the consumers, we will take a closer look at the tricks used by marketing departments, also known as the seven sins of marketing (Consumentengids, October 2005): 1. Misleading the customer: A priori doesnt contain anything bad. It often happens that manufacturers put claims on the packages of products that say that it doesnt contain a certain ingredient, even when it is completely normal for this particular product not to contain the ingredient. This way they can move the attention away from the bad ingredients: naturally contains no fat, for example, does not mean that the product contains no sugar. 2. The healthy product. By this you can think of claims that are formally true but aim to confuse the consumer. For example if they advertise that their product contains real fruit, the consumer links this with a healthy product, which is not necessarily true. 3. The demi-truth. This means that manufacturers are changing the truth to make the product more attractive. Most of the time they use the ingredients the product does not contain. A popular use of this sin is, for example, 90% fat free: this looks attractive for the consumer but might just as well contain 10% of fat. 4. Bluffing. When manufacturers do this, they are actually exaggerating their product features. You can recognise these products when they say prepared withà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦: this does not mean anything and can even point to a minimal content of this certain ingredient. This sin also contains claims on products that might be a little too difficult for the consumer to understand, like all sorts of different bacteria and complexes: the consumer does not know them, but since proved by science (?) they might be good, so the consumer buys them. 5. Illusion Manufactures are not obligated to name their product after the main ingredient: something that can be very confusing for the consumer. This is most evident in the meat industry: some frozen products like chicken fingers could just as well be made out of turkey. In marketing this is also known as the claim-belief interaction: the manufacturer using the potential misunderstandings of the product, claims to sell their products (Thompson, 2002, p. 359). Most of the time they make the essential information as small as possible on the packages of products or even omit them totally. Selling dangerous or harmful products: 6. The rose-coloured glasses. This sin looks a little like the second one but this one is even worse because it makes the consumer think they are actually eating a healthy product while the product is in fact unhealthy. Examples are the products that contain certain food additives and artificial sweeteners that can damage your health, like those found in low-fat products. The consumers think they are healthier because the fat is removed; but they forget there might be other ingredients that can be harmful. Manufacturers market their products in a way where the consumers link fat free with healthiness, something which is not always true. 7. The push to over consumption. This is mostly caused by little presents offered to the consumer when buying the product, which have little to do with the food. Hereby you can think of: competitions, high profile or cartoon endorsements, in-pack promotions, convenient packaging (e.g. the lunchboxes), discount buys (2 for 1) and multi-buy packs. The biggest problem with this push to over consumption is that certain groups of consumers are more vulnerable than other groups. The reason for this is that these groups of people have lost their critical thinking skills to evaluate media warnings. You can think of target marketing to women (indoctrinated by the ideal view of an anorexic woman), elderly (willing to do everything to lengthen their lives), ethnical minorities (discriminatory advertisement) and of course the famous marketing to children who are nowadays seen as plenary consumers (Cui Choudhurry, 2003, p 1). 4. Responsibility It is not at all easy to decide what the responsibility of an enterprise for society is. Responsibility in general means that someone is to blame, something has to be done or some kind of trustworthiness can be expected (Goodpaster and Matthews, 2000, p. 133). But to which extent can a corporation have these human characteristics? To make it easier to discuss this so-called corporate social responsibility it is necessary to divide it into four different sorts of responsibilities: economic responsibilities, legal responsibilities, ethical responsibilities and discretionary responsibilities. You can see these four categories in the form of a pyramid, as shown in the figure below. Source: Caroll (1991) (Carroll, 1991, p. 40). The only question is how far the company should go when climbing this pyramid and how steep the pyramid should be. To discuss this question in the last chapter it is necessary to take a closer look at the different levels of the pyramid. 4.1 Economic responsibilities In short, the economical responsibility for a company is to be profitable (Carroll, 1991, p. 42). Historically, the sole task of a business was to produce goods and services that consumers needed, and try and gain a profit as high as possible. This is not only important for the business but also for most of its stakeholders. A successful business is one that produces constant profits to reach a strong position in the market, and be as efficient as possible (Carroll, 1991, p. 40). This is quite controversial when it comes to social responsibility and therefore it is usually not where the pyramid ends. Although some economists, like Milton Friedman, had the opinion that this is indeed the point where the responsibilities should stop (Friedman, 1970). Friedman claimed that the only responsibility of a business was to make a good profit. He had the opinion that only people can take real responsibilities and that, since a business is an entity and not a person, the business could only have fictive responsibilities and no actual ones. These responsibilities lie in the hands of the manager of the enterprise and Friedman stated that its sole responsibility was to take responsibility for its employees and shareholders. In other words: to make profit so they can get paid. The only reason a manager could be seduced by corporate social responsibility (ethical of philanthropic forms) would be to calm its own conscience. This is not very practical in the eyes of Friedman because it would result in less profit, thereby lowering the ability of the business to take responsibility for its employees and stakeholders. Social responsibility would have more to do with political mechanisms than with market mechanisms and would therefore not be interesting for corporations (Friedman, 1970, p. 1). 4.2 Legal responsibilities Complying with the law can be seen as a social contract between businesses and society where the firms are expected to pursue their economic missions and economic responsibility within the framework of the law (Carroll, 1991, p. 42). The rules of the game are made by federal, state and local governments and should be the ground rules for how a company should act. It can also be the beginning of ethical responsibility because the law actually gives the basic ethical points. A successful company at this level of the pyramid is the one that accomplishes its economic objectives and does not break the law, including the production of products and services that satisfy legal demands (Carroll, 1991, p. 41). 4.3 Ethical responsibilities Ethical responsibilities refer to the obligation to do what is right, just and fair and to avoid harm (Carroll, 1991, p. 42). With this form of social responsibility, it is important that the way of doing business is consistent with the expectations of the social and ethical norms and values. These expectations of what is ethical and what is not have been described in the foregone chapters. In a broad sense we can say that from a deontological view this means that the company follows the general rules; from teleological view this means the company tries to reach the best outcomes for every party involved. Ethical responsibility concerns the actions that, even though not constrained by law, are expected or disapproved by society. In general, society expects the industry to do extra things not forced by Legal obligations (Carroll, 1991, p. 41). It is very difficult for corporations to assess how big this responsibility should be, because it is impossible to find clear lines about norms and values since they fluctuate and change within a society. Businesses in the food industry might have difficulties with how far they can push the boundaries: one consumer will feel mislead much quicker than the other. Ethical responsibility in the food industry is mainly centered around the question rather the businesses can be pointed as guilty for the recent trend in obesity. 4.4 Discretionary responsibilities The last form of responsibility goes strictly against the theory of Milton Friedman and claims that the company should be a good citizen by engaging in acts or programs to promote human welfare or goodwill (Carroll, 1991, p. 42). This corporate citizenship, also known as marketing citizenship, means actively participating in programs or actions like charity projects or voluntary work and in the food industry: in health campaigns. There is a social expectation that businesses donate a certain amount of their money, facilities and employees to humanitarian purposes (Carroll, 1991, p. 42). Even though it is not regarded as unethical by society if corporations do not take this sort of responsibility, it is something that is often silently expected. The problem is that it is quite easy for businesses to replace their ethical responsibility by their discretionary responsibility: donation money might be seen as a redemption sum to hush unethical business practices. It is an ideal way for bu sinesses to drag the attention away from scandals-to-be, giving the consumer the picture of being very socially responsible by just donating a great sum of money. For example, by taking responsibility for the little children in the third world countries by paying a sum of money, they can avoid losing profit by taking responsibility for their own children who are suffering from obesities because of their products (Weber, 2002, p. 553). 5. Discussion: the business, ethical egoist, local or cosmopolitan utilitarist? Now that we looked at this unethical marketing we come to the more interesting part: can we blame the businesses for the way they market their products, misleading the consumers and sometimes even hurting the health of their consumers? In other wordsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ What is their responsibility? The first form of responsibility is the economic responsibility. This is a responsibility businesses have to take and are of course very willing to take. With this it is important not to see the business as an ethical egoist but as a local utilitarist: they need to take this responsibility for their stakeholders. Funnily enough, stakeholders include employees, investors, suppliers, directors But also the consumers. In the food industry these products might sometimes be the products that are bad for the consumer, but we have to make a distinction between preferences and meta-preferences here. There is no problem listening to the preferences of the customer, but it is not ethically right to strengthen the meta-preferences, this would make the business an ethical egoist. This is where the overlap with ethical responsibility begins: businesses will claim at all times that metapreferences do not exist and if so, they have nothing to do with them. By definition, food is never bad for you and it depends on the way you use it. If the consumer is not rational enough to make their own choices the businesses dont see how they can be responsible for this. They hereby forget that it is not impossible to have both, a concern f or profits and a concern for society. When it comes to legal responsibility there is absolutely no question that companies forced by law should try to avoid products which are known to be risky for the consumer, on average: they do. Not only because it is forbidden, but the products dont sell anyway if they are known to be dangerous. But the products that are not yet proven to be possibly harmful, soà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Not harmful, are questionable. Is it the responsibility of the business to take care of this possible harmfulness? Legal responsibility is an issue of deontology ethics and mixing it with teleology is too confusing for the consumers and for the businesses. When it comes to health risks, doubts should be minimised. Of course we are not talking about over consumption but about ingredients or artificial additives that cause harm. Restraining the consumption of their own product is not very tempting for the manufacturers: why should they want to reduce their own profit? Even though most people are reluctant when it comes to the invisible hand being replaced by the government hand I think they should at least make proper laws concerning the marketing of proven harmful products and about labeling in all honesty. Ethical responsibility for the consumer is the one businesses claim not to see. How can businesses come away with their extremely misleading marketing tricks? With most forms of unethical marketing the businesses use the bounded rationality of the consumer (White, 2003, p. 100): the consumer has certain obligations to themselves but will not always have enough character to obey to these obligations. The moral dilemma for companies is to what extent they have to take responsibility for this character. This is where their self-interest has to stop and they have to become cosmopolitan utilitarists instead of local utilitarists. They have to deal with the fact that they are not alone on this planet and that it is not only their profit that counts. It is also the point where the government hand has to withdraw, for me intervening at this point is taking away the free choice of the society. The businesses do not produce these products for nothing, the consumers likes them even though they might be a risk for health. Taking the products out of the market does not only hurt the businesses but also the consumers who actually like the products. But what to do about the consumers who like the products too much? Should the businesses help them in trying to avoid overusing the products? Many people compare the food industry with the tobacco industry and claim businesses have to put warnings on their products. In my opinion this is not something you can compare because nobody needs cigarettes but everybody needs food. Thereby I dont see any business doing this out of self-regulation: since probably not every competitor does it, putting the claims on the products will make it look like they are to blame and not the product. Consumers will just buy the same unhealthy product but from a different manufacturer. But businesses could at least try to be honest to their customers, if only out of respect. The last responsibility is the discretionary responsibility. This might sound very noble, but I think this is only a way for the businesses to skip the ethical floor of the pyramid. It seems that most businesses, perceived as practising unethical behaviour, confuse these two responsibilities. Of course they dont confuse them, it is actual a very well considered decision. It is a perfect way they can hide the fact they dont want to take ethical responsibility because they are afraid of what might happen to their profits. It would be nice and easy to say that businesses and the government are the only ones who need to take responsibility, unfortunately this is untrue. There are three different parties that I think could take responsibility as well. The first party are of course the consumers. Costumers seem to ignoremarketing tricks, it doesnt matter if they know the claims might not be so true or useful after all, they like to believe in it so they buy the products. It is not only the business acting out of self-interest, the consumers know how to do this to. They want tasty food that is not only cheap but also healthy and literally wait until the businesses give this to them. This is quite difficult to produce but an invitation for businesses to promote their product as if it has all the three character treats: unethical marketing. The consumer will not be satisfied enough, since we all got a little spoiled, and instead of changing their three demands, it blames the company. If we continue blaming, we will end up convincing ourselves that we are not to blame and, like a vicious circle, we will do not hing to change our behaviour because it was meant to be and forced up on us. Why have we become so passive when it comes to eating? It is too easy to blame the change of lifestyle, forced up by the food industry. We just have to accept our lifestyles have changed and try to make the best out of it, by ourselves. The second party is the part of the food industry that distinguishes themselves as selling healthy products: where is the marketing for the apple? Even though it might sound like unnatural to the producers of natural products: why not advertise for things like fruit and vegetables? If Kelloggs can put star wars toys in their packages, why cant we put a Mickey Mouse sticker on an apple? The third party are the supermarkets and other shops were the food is sold. If consumers think they are to weak to make their own rational decisions why not put them in a rational environment when they do there daily shopping? Supermarkets should become more open, less seductive and more ordered. It is hard, and dangerous, to come to a conclusion on a subject this controversial, with this little background so I will not do that. To come with a real conclusion it would be necessary to first take a closer look at the actual consequences of unethical marketing and to take a look at market of the food industry more profoundly. For now, it appears to me that the clichà © is true and that everybody is responsible and everybody likes to blame someone else for its responsibility. Businesses should take their economical and legal responsibility, helped by the government, and up to a certain extent also their ethical responsibility. This last one doesnt necessarily mean they have to change their marketing strategies or the content of their products but they have to inform the consumer about the product as good as possible. To avoid confusion, discretionary responsibility is not very important, but might become more interesting when businesses hav

The Cycle of Sacrifice in the Roman Catholic Mass :: Religion Christianity Judaism Essays

The Cycle of Sacrifice in the Roman Catholic Mass The Christian Church is centered on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is what set the early Christians apart from their Jewish roots. In the Christian Church the notion of sacrifice is based on Jesus Christ as the ultimate sacrifice. This comes from a long tradition of sacrifice throughout the Hebrew Scriptures. In the Jewish tradition there are sacrifices made at certain times of the year. For example, traditionally during Passover each family has a rabbi sacrifice a lamb. The Jewish belief is that this sacrifice must take place every year at Passover. The Christian belief has changed since the death of Christ. Christians believe Christ has become the one true sacrifice. The reason the sacrifice of the Hebrews must be continued is two fold. The Hebrew sacrifice is made to God, by a priest who is imperfect, and the sacrifice itself is also imperfect. This imperfection and the presence of sin prevent the sacrifice from becoming eternal and therefore must be rep eated. In the Christian view, Jesus is the perfect victim and the perfect sacrificer. The emphasis on sacrifice in the Catholic Church has changed. In the earliest days bread was broken in a meal of fellowship. Eyewitness accounts of the works of Jesus Christ were the center of the fathering. It was a gathering of a community of believers. Gradually this emphasis on community and discussion has changed to an emphasis on the sacrifice of Jesus. By the middle ages this is the center of all. People came to adore the Blessed Sacrament while the priest offered the sacrifice. This centrality on the eucharist and the priest as sacrificer was solidified by the Council of Trent. In time, the people yearned for a greater participation in the liturgy. This led to the Second Vatican Council in which great changes to the liturgy resulted in a shift of emphasis back to the words and works of Jesus and to the people as the mystical body of Christ. In the earliest church there was little to no mention of sacrifice. The focus of the beliefs of the community was around the resurrection and good works of Jesus. Just after the death of Christ, Jewish Christians gathered in homes after the Temple service. The Cycle of Sacrifice in the Roman Catholic Mass :: Religion Christianity Judaism Essays The Cycle of Sacrifice in the Roman Catholic Mass The Christian Church is centered on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is what set the early Christians apart from their Jewish roots. In the Christian Church the notion of sacrifice is based on Jesus Christ as the ultimate sacrifice. This comes from a long tradition of sacrifice throughout the Hebrew Scriptures. In the Jewish tradition there are sacrifices made at certain times of the year. For example, traditionally during Passover each family has a rabbi sacrifice a lamb. The Jewish belief is that this sacrifice must take place every year at Passover. The Christian belief has changed since the death of Christ. Christians believe Christ has become the one true sacrifice. The reason the sacrifice of the Hebrews must be continued is two fold. The Hebrew sacrifice is made to God, by a priest who is imperfect, and the sacrifice itself is also imperfect. This imperfection and the presence of sin prevent the sacrifice from becoming eternal and therefore must be rep eated. In the Christian view, Jesus is the perfect victim and the perfect sacrificer. The emphasis on sacrifice in the Catholic Church has changed. In the earliest days bread was broken in a meal of fellowship. Eyewitness accounts of the works of Jesus Christ were the center of the fathering. It was a gathering of a community of believers. Gradually this emphasis on community and discussion has changed to an emphasis on the sacrifice of Jesus. By the middle ages this is the center of all. People came to adore the Blessed Sacrament while the priest offered the sacrifice. This centrality on the eucharist and the priest as sacrificer was solidified by the Council of Trent. In time, the people yearned for a greater participation in the liturgy. This led to the Second Vatican Council in which great changes to the liturgy resulted in a shift of emphasis back to the words and works of Jesus and to the people as the mystical body of Christ. In the earliest church there was little to no mention of sacrifice. The focus of the beliefs of the community was around the resurrection and good works of Jesus. Just after the death of Christ, Jewish Christians gathered in homes after the Temple service.

I Am a Humanist :: Personal Narrative Essays

I Am a Humanist One Sunday afternoon, under the warm, unrelenting gaze of the sun, a revelation interrupted my usual observations of the psychological flux seemingly inherent in all family relationships. Since the fact which I had noticed seemed relevant to the conversation, I saw no harm in prodding out the truth by a simple statement, "My sister is one too." Of course I meant it partially in jest, since she had made no such rebellious declarations. A few inconsequential discussions had made me consider stating her liberalism valid, and I took only a small step further by calling her an equal. Some would call such a leap flattering, but my mother thought the statement horrendous. "You may hold your own beliefs, but she's just a little girl! How could you?" The exact wording, time, and place are not important -- the tone of intolerance and look that made me want to proclaim,"Yes, I'm cold-hearted" are what have stayed with me. Such a response was justified by society -- and, as I have been repeatedly informed, extremely calm by almost any comparison. I was not referring to political alignment, but something far more serious and controversial. The group I had unjustly compared her to was the outcast of society's philosophy; I had called her a cold-hearted atheist. There are many good reasons for such anti religious intolerance in a social structure worried about the individual. How can godless ones be comforted -- in life and death? My mom, with good reason, was worried about my sister's soul; on Earth she would face a lifetime not knowing about a universal and unconditional love and her status in the afterlife was too scary to contemplate. Such a view was undoubtedly skewed by parental concern which concentrated on the child and not the world at large. Society, regardless of rigidity, is built upon moral rules that distinguish participants from simple feuding creatures. Most problems arise from the fact that the citizens of these advanced moral institutions find breaking the rules to be beneficial -- and are sometimes unable to resist the temptation. It is rather judicially expedient to proclaim God's judgment in all sentences and refer crimes to the afterlife. Both solutions require a believing population.

The Tet Offensive Essay -- essays research papers fc

The Tet Offensive was unquestionably the biggest occurrence of the Vietnam War. While the military success of the Viet Cong in mounting a sustained revolt in cities across South Vietnam was virtually non-existent, the psychological impact it had on the American public was quite simply phenomenal. This effect was partially due to the reporting of the war by the media. To completely understand the impacts of Tet, we must first understand the goals of Tet. The execution of Tet was a failure on the battlefield; however, it proved to be an astounding success on college campuses across America.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The main objectives of the Tet Offensive of 1968 were to mount numerous uprisings in cities that were supposedly secure. The cities focused on in Tet were Saigon, Hue, and Danang. The idea originally came about around 1966. The reason being was that General Westmoreland’s continuous pressure constantly harried the North Vietnamese Army and the Viet Cong (Ford 33). The US armed forces were depriving their Vietnamese aggressors of what they needed most, time to plan. Around this time General Nguyen Chi Thanh was being reprimanded for his failures in using large-scale unit operations against the devastating firepower of US forces. Basically, if Thanh continued the war under these circumstances he would have no army to continue the revolution. The decision from Hanoi was that their only hope was to use a Protracted War Strategy and outlast the Americans (Ford 33). In 1967 Thanh died and was replaced by General Giap. This gave the decision makers in Hanoi a solu tion to their problem of adopting a sound strategy. It wasn’t hard to make a decision, they decided on fighting a long and drawn out guerilla war. Hanoi also expanded the debate to consider the views of others (Ford 34). Psychology was a factor in this war, the leaders in North Vietnam made sure of it. They realized that Vietnam was a political war for America. In fact, it was not uncommon for the North Vietnamese leaders to tune in to American broadcasts to see how the media handled the war.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On January 30th, 1968 the Tet Offensive came into being. Nineteen Vietnamese sappers blew a hole in the eight-foot wall surrounding the US embassy in Saigon. Initially the dozen military police and Marine Corps guards were taken by surprise, by dawn the wall was secure and ... ...r the Viet Cong it was a great psychological victory over the American public. The decline of events in 1968 was enough to keep President Johnson from seeking re-election.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It isn’t difficult to understand why the Tet Offensive of 1968 changed many American’s opinion of the war. The offensive took the US by surprise. There were signs that it was coming but these signs were not given the proper attention that they required. The media in Vietnam was in disarray when the offensive first broke out and when they finally came back into their normal functions the damage had been done by misreporting and the chaos and confusion that swept the country. List Of Works Cited Braestrup, Peter. Big Story. New Haven: Westview Press, Inc., 1977. Ford, Ronnie E. TET 1968: Understanding the Surprise. London: Frank Cass & Co. LTD, 1995 Gilbert, Marc Jason and William Head. The Tet Offensive. Westport: Praeger, 1996. Omicinski, John. Tet Offensive – A Turning Point.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Vets With A Mission. 4 Feb. 2003   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  . Wirtz, James J. The Tet Offensive: Intelligence Failure In War. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1991.

The Qur’an

The Qur'an is recognized as the last literal words of GOD given to his people by Muhammad the last prophet, or messenger of GOD (Quran recitations and translation online, 2006-2009). The Quran is without a beginning, middle, or ending, and consists of 114 chapters of varying lengths called â€Å"Sura†. Each ‘Sura’ is titled dependant on the message being portrayed (Hooker, 1996). It also reveals the following â€Å"five pillars of Islam† (Five Pillars of Islam, 2009) or standards that define Muslim religious belief and practice. These pillars are the foundation of Muslim religion. Good introduction and thesis statement. â€Å"Shahada† means the acceptance of no other GOD but ALLAH and that Mohammad is the prophet of Allah (Five Pillars of Islam, 2009). This same theme is reinereated thoroughout the Quran is is the single most important basis of Muslim religion. Develop paragraph further. â€Å"Salat† is the requirement to pray daily starting at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and night facing toward the Mecca. (source? ) This time is seen as a personal conversation with Allah expressing gratitude and worship as well as asking for assistance if needed. It is believed that this practice enables one to remain on a true path of righteousness. (Five Pillars of Islam, 2009) Muslims are seen daily at the Mosques during this ritual prayer but it is not a requirement to pray in a Mosque the only requirement for daily prayer is the area is to be clean. â€Å"Zakah† or charitable giving consists of two main types. First, there is the kajj, which is a fixed amount based on the cost of food that is paid during the month of Ramadan for the entire family. Make an original title that reflects your thesis statement. This could be very expensive depending on the amount of people in the family and whether or not you included the extended family in the accounting. Avoid 2nd person voice. Second, there is the Zakat on wealth, which covers money made in business, savings, income, and valuables held for longer than one year only as long as the value is greater than ‘Nisab’ (the equilivent of 3 ozs of gold). (source? ) One can always give more in order to obtain a greater divine reward. The following guiding principles should be followed when giving the Zakat: the giver must declare is intention to GOD. It must be paid on the day that it is due, or it is considered the refusal to fulfill GODS wishes. (source? ) Payment must be in kind, wealthy people pay in cash while poorer people can pay in goods or time depending on their ability. And finally the Zakat is always distributed in the community it originated. It is through Zakat that the responsibility to eliminate inequity and ease economic hardship in every community is fulfilled. Five Pillars of Islam, 2009) This practice of distribution in the community at times can lead to inequality when economics of the area are factored in. Fragment- Make topic sentence- â€Å"Sawm† or Ramadan Fasting. During this 30 day period one must abstain from food, drink, and sexual intercourse from dawn to dusk while being especially mindful of other sins. (source? ) There are three different types of fasting recognized although the act of fasting remains the same. There is ritual fasting, fasting as compensation or repentance, and ascetic fasting. † (source? ) The purpose is to allow Muslims to seek nearness to Allah, to express their gratitude to and dependence on him, to atone for their past sins, and to remind them of the needy. Since there is the fasting in place during daylight hours, some mosques hold early morning breakfast gatherings as well as community dinners at night during the period of Ramadan. (Five Pillars of Islam, 2009) â€Å"Hajj† or the pilgrimage to Mecca is the last pillar of Islam. Every able-bodied Muslim is obliged to make this at least once in their lifetime if they can afford it (Five Pillars of Islam, 2009). This pilgrimage is not dependant on distance either. If living in the States or even further away it is still an expectation that if able the pilgrimage will be made. The five pillars of Islam are just the beginning of the Qur'an’s foundation for living. The Quran is also a book of wisdom giving inspiration and guidance to the people of Muslim religion. As reported in the Sura 17 â€Å"This Qur'an guides to that which is more right and better. It reassures the believers who do the good that their reward will be great† (Topic index of the Quran, 1995-2001). It is filled with reminders of God’s mercy, blessing, warnings of what will occur to those who do not follow the righteous path, instructions for daily living and also includes stories of ancient civilizations and the lessons they learned (Hooker, 1996). This makes the Quran the bible or words of wisdom followed by all Muslims in the practice of their religion and lifestyles.