The thesis examined McMaster University undergraduates’ beliefs about health and contagion, and their implication for antibacterial soap use. A qualitative methodology was used and 30 participants were interviewed, and the transcripts coded and analysed for emergent themes. Students understand health in terms of having energy, being disease free, and as something to be achieved through healthy lifestyle choices and cleanliness. These beliefs form an explanatory model of health that has several key components used to make health decisions, including using or not using antibacterial soap. The participants see their health as continually threatened by sources of illness. Contagion is one of the principal threats identified and understood as transmitted through the air, or on the surfaces of contaminated people and objects. Two modes of defence were articulated in the interviews. Internal components of defence involve maintaining immune rigour; external components drives activities such as personal hygiene and cleaning to protect against pathogens. Men tend to have a more internally focussed explanatory model of health, while women have a more external focus. This seems to explain why the women in this study were eight times more likely to use antibacterial soap than the men, a finding that was statistically significant (p=.O27). Social values are expressed through the explanatory model, including social boundaries and morality. The model also aligns very well with the biomedical paradigm in that it reduces health to its physical components, provides a mechanistic explanation of the body, and separates mind and body as discrete entities and as an object of control. Biomedicine seems to be broadening into new social domains, such as gender, social boundaries and morality, which are also reflected in students' beliefs about health. / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA)

Debido a los sucesos que contrajo la pandemia del Covid-19 en nuestro país, se incrementó la demanda de productos de limpieza de higiene como jabones y gel antibacteriales para generar protección ante un posible contagio de este virus. Según datos reportados el sector que tuvo un mayor incremento en ventas fue el de limpieza. Dentro de este sector se encuentra Paper Clean, el cual, es un proyecto de negocio que tiene como propósito brindar un producto de limpieza de manos, tal como son las láminas de jabón que tiene como características ser antibacterial, con insumos naturales, variedad de aromas, innovador, con calidad e higiénico. Asimismo, nuestros jabones en láminas estarán enfocados a Mujeres del sector A y B dentro de Lima moderna.  Este proyecto surge con la finalidad de poder brindar a nuestro público un producto de calidad, diferente y que tenga un valor agregado para poder diferenciarnos del resto del mercado y que a la vez le genere bienestar y seguridad a nuestro público al usar nuestro producto. Este proyecto expone un análisis de los retos que conlleva participar en un mercado altamente competitivo y que nos obliga a diferenciarnos de la competencia, como también cómo emplearemos nuestras estrategias de operación, publicidad y se mostrará que el proyecto es viable lo que debe ser avalado por nuestros análisis financieros. / Due to the events of the Covid-19 pandemic in our country, the demand for hygiene cleaning products such as antibacterial soaps and gel was increased to generate protection against possible contagion of this virus. According to reported data the sector that had the greatest increase in sales was the cleaning. Within this sector is Paper Clean, which is a business project that aims to provide a hand cleaning product, such as soap sheets, which has the characteristics of being antibacterial, with natural inputs, a variety of aromas, innovative, with quality and hygienic. In addition, our foil soaps will be focused on Women from sector B within modern Lima. This project arises in order to be able to provide our audience with a quality product, different and that has added value to be able to differentiate us from the rest of the market and that at the same time generates well-being and safety to our public when using our product. This project sets out an analysis of the challenges of participating in a highly competitive market that forces us to differentiate ourselves from competition, as well as how we will use our trading strategies, advertising and show that the project is viable which should be endorsed by our financial analyses. / Trabajo de investigación

Debido al contexto del Covid 19, decidimos desarrollar un modelo de negocio basado en las necesidades que se presentan a partir de la “nueva normalidad”. Luego de una investigación realizada en Lima, la cual incluyó distintos niveles socioeconómicos, analizamos la información recopilada para determinar cómo los hábitos de higiene de las personas han cambiado y cómo se pueden satisfacer esas nuevas necesidades. La propuesta de negocio es atractiva y viable debido a que encontramos que las personas no cuentan con los insumos necesarios para una correcta rutina de higiene fuera de casa. Es por ello por lo que esta propuesta se basa en la venta, a través de canales digitales, de un producto innovador en el mercado peruano. El producto es un papel jabón antibacterial que permite un correcto lavado de manos fuera de casa que se almacena en un estuche antiviral y antibacterial. Además, el empaquetado del producto es eco amigable y el estuche que hace transportable el Papel jabón es reutilizable, por lo que tiene un impacto positivo en el medio ambiente. El proyecto ha sido evaluado y analizado en distintos niveles para garantizar su viabilidad. Los puntos evaluados fueron: el análisis del entorno, análisis financiero, planeamiento operativo y preoperativo, Recursos Humanos, Marketing, Responsabilidad Social Empresarial y La validación del modelo de negocio y del producto a partir de encuestas y entrevistas tanto a usuarios como expertos en la materia. / Due to the actual context of the Covid 19 we decided to develop a business focused on the needs that this “new reality” demands. After a research carried in Lima, involving different socioeconomic levels and demographic profiles and Based on interviews and online information we analyzed that the habits of the consumer have changed a lot this year, especially the cleaning routine. The business proposition is attractive and viable because we realized that people don’t have the necessary resources to complete a properly cleaning routine when they are not at home. So that’s why this business model is based on selling an innovative product in the Peruvian market throughout the social media. The product is an antibacterial paper soap that allows you to wash your hands properly when you are not at home; it also comes with an antibacterial and antiviral case that makes it portable and reliable. The packaging is eco friendly and the case itself too because it can be reused so it has a positive impact in the environment. The project has been evaluated and analyzed from different perspectives to guarantee its viability. The items evaluated were the context analysis, financial analysis, operative and pre-operative planning, HR planning, Marketing planning, social responsibility and a validation of the product with customers and specialists. / Trabajo de investigación