Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: A Reflection

Abraham Maslow, a popular psychologist during 1950's to 1970's has developed a model on how people could test their personality, based on their needs as an individual. This is called ‘Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs'. The model is illustrated as a triangle. The base of the triangle, which is the biggest, is the Psychological Need. Since this is the base of the triangle and the biggest, Maslow interpreted this as the individual’s basic needs. Most of the things that Maslow included in this area are the health and medical needs of an individual. These things are some of the things the individual cannot live without, examples are: oxygen, sleep, physical activities, water and rest. Following the psychological need is the Safety and Security Need, which takes up the second level of the triangle. As the individual fulfills his psychological need, he will seek for order and security. Perhaps, he will seek for a secured job so that he could continually fulfill his psychological needs, or look for a shelter or community where he could find safety and serenity. These are some examples of Safety and Security needs. The third level of the triangle is the Love and Belongingness Need. The famous quote ‘no one is an island', best describes this need. Next level in Maslow's model is the need for self-esteem. This need could come from the people surrounding the individual or from himself alone. The last level of the triangle is the Self-Actualization. The last level of the model according to Maslow is a little bit different among the four needs mentioned earlier. Self-actualization happens when the individual finally fulfilled the four needs. In layman's term, self-actualization could also mean ‘contentment or fulfillment'. However, though many psychologists and many practitioners are using Maslow's model, there are some questionable issues as he explained his model. First issue is that, not all individual needs to fulfill the four needs before he can have self-actualization. For example, some individuals are already successful in their respective fields by living alone. Some of these people do not need love and belongingness; in fact, they see love and belongingness as hindrance to whatever they want to achieve in life. Some people are achievers without partners in life or without even a family. Second issue is that, psychological needs encompass almost all of the needs mentioned in his model. In fact, it would be proper for Maslow to name the first level of his model as ‘Basic Needs' instead of psychological needs.

Richard Cory and God’s Work

People can suffer in silence and suddenly they either shock us by doing something drastic or they emerge as heroes who win our admiration. † a) Briefly outline what happens in â€Å"Richard Cory† and â€Å"God’s Work†. Richard Cory, the subject of the poem by Edwin Arlington Robinson, is a man who is highly favored in his community. The working class citizens, one of which is the narrator of the poem, are always admiring his sophistication and his regal attitude. They also have high regards for his humanity, wealth as well as his status in education.The people think that Richard Cory is everything; they begin to cut back on the things they do in hope to achieve a similar lifestyle to the one that Richard Cory lives. However, without any identified reason, Richard kills himself, bringing surprise to the ones who admire him together with the reader. In the poem â€Å"God’s Work† by Ian McDonald, death also occurs, however, being of a different s tate to that of â€Å"Richard Cory†. The poet respects the main character, Mister Edwards, who is his gardener, handyman and a good friend.Mister Edwards is a strong man, both physically and mentally, and a handsome man too. However, he is ill and is experiencing the factors of death. Although Mister Edwards suffers a slow and excruciating death, he shows his great appreciation for the things he experiences. He believes that whatever happens, whether it may be pleasing or dissatisfying, it is God’s work and it happens for a reason. Coming on to the end of the poem, the poet describes the pain that Mister Edwards endures, and how many people believe that he has a strong heart.Finally, he dies, and the persona cynically cries out â€Å"God’s Work†. b) How does the statement above apply to each poem? After reading the poems â€Å"Richard Cory† and â€Å"God’s Work,† it is clearly recognized that the statement is applied in both poems. In the poems, the two main characters suffer silently, however, in â€Å"Richard Cory,† his death shocks the reader and in â€Å"God’s Work†, Mister Edwards’ strength allowed him to become admirable to the reader. The first half of the poem that states, â€Å"People suffer in silence and suddenly they either hock us by doing something drastic,† is in relation to the poem â€Å"Richard Cory†. The way in which Richard lives his life and carries himself is admired by the narrators, who continually describe his characteristics throughout most of the poem. This may be evident where they describe him as being, â€Å"Clean favored, and imperially slim. † The working class also tries their utmost best to become an individual such as Richard, evident in the lines, â€Å"In fine, we thought he was everything to make us wish that we were in his place.So on we worked, and waited for the light, and went without the meat, and cursed the bread. † Through this way of thinking, Richard Cory creates an extreme shock to the reader, by killing himself on â€Å"one calm summer night†. â€Å"God’s Work† relates to the second half of the statement which says that the people who suffer in silence, â€Å"they emerge as heroes who win our admiration. † It is evident throughout the poem that Mister Edwards is suffering from a painful illness. The poet describes Mister Edwards’ suffering; the â€Å"spasms† he experiences â€Å"crumpling up his face. However, he tries to maintain his dignity even during death through â€Å"the effort to hold back the gut contracting cry†. Obviously, Mister Edwards is a man of good faith in God. He accepts that even the worst that can happen is a part of â€Å"God’s Work† as well as the death that he is experiencing. Mister Edwards’ struggle reveals his strength of character and his heroism allowing him to become such an admiration t o the reader. c) In each case, what poetic device does the poet use to make us feel shock or admiration?The poetic device that the poets use in both poems is that of situational irony, so as to make us feel shock or admiration. In â€Å"Richard Cory†, by the way in which the citizens speak about Richard Cory’s wealth, education and his general way of living, the reader is made to believe that he is contented with his life. This may be evident in his royality; him being â€Å"a gentleman from sole to crown, clean favored, and imperially slim. † Further, it is also obvious in the way Richard Cory â€Å"glittered when he walked,† and how rich and â€Å"admirably schooled† he is.The citizens long to become as successful as Richard Cory is and â€Å"waited for the light†. However, at the end of the poem, the situational irony shocks the reader, as the narrators reveal that Richard Cory kills himself. This occurs since the reader did not expect su ch a humble and pleasant man, who seems to have everything, to do something that drastic. For the poem â€Å"God’s Work† many situations of irony occur. However, the ironic situation that allows the reader to evoke feelings of admiration is the situation where Mister Edwards accepts death as the actions of God despite the nature of the event.Although many would think that â€Å"God’s Work† is just about the blooming flowers and the rising sun, Mister Edwards believes that harsh storms and floods are also â€Å"God’s Work†, evident where the persona says, â€Å"’God’s work’, he would say when the rain pelted down and floods rushed in rivers and storms lashed the tree-tops†. The reader may wonder why such an agonizing death is experienced by someone who is said to be of good character, as he is described by the persona in the second stanza, but Mister Edwards has faith in God, believing that he allows suffering for there is a reason behind it.

Public Perception of Police Essay

Being a police officer is one of the hardest jobs around. They are trained and hired to â€Å"protect and serve† their communities and they are constantly in the public eye. Everything that they do is criticized by the people who are watching them. Like in every other profession, there are some who should really not be doing that job, and those people give a bad name to the really good and dedicated officers that work so hard to take care of people. One of the problems that cause the public to have a lower level of good will toward police is the rising crime rate. People believe that if there are more crimes being committed, the police are not doing a proper job of stopping it. This tends to make people doubt the abilities that police have. (Koenig)Some of the negative feedback in regards to policing comes from allegations of alleged cover-ups mostly applied to racial accusations, ethnicity and to some degree, economic class. (Connolly, 2001) These issues are on a daily basis and over all that gives the public a negative view of the police force in general. The media has a big part in the negative viewpoint people have of the police. They tend to focus on the bad things that happen and although police are just human beings and do make mistakes, which is the only thing the media gives attention to so they get their viewers and readers to develop a negative attitude towards law enforcement. (Connolly, 2001) Another issue that is b ig in the news regarding law enforcement is that police are violent. There have been occasions when police have used violence and in some cases it was unjustified. But those incidents are isolated and do not happen as frequently as the media tends to make people believe. Police will only use force when they are in danger and even then, they give the criminal every possible chance to surrender before force is used. If the media focused more on the positive things that law enforcement does for the public, more people would likely have a more positive viewpoint towards them. (Connolly, 2001)The public seems to be split on the viewpoint of law enforcement. Some are in agreement with a certain amount of force being used while the other half tends to believe that it is dangerous for the police to use any kind of force especially when it is related to racial, ethical or socio-economical issues. (Connolly, 2001) It is believed that media bias started back when there were issues regarding the Vietnam War and Civil Rights struggles. Police are doing the  best job they are able to do and it would definitely make their jobs easier if they had more support and backing from the people they are trying to protect. (Connolly, 2001)There are many times that the police have to get control of a person or of people and this can prove to be very difficult physically and also very dangerous to the police and to the person or people they are trying to control. Nobody wants to admit that that is the truth but unfortunately it is. Some people may believe that because of what they see on television either in a movie or from the news, if they do something to irritate any cop, they will be beaten for it and then made out to look like they are the ones who brought it on, whether they deserve it or not. And in most cases, no one deserves to be beaten. (Connolly, 2001)According to Stamper (2009), police do not pick bad officers, those bad officers are made. Even the most dedicated police officer who gets out of the police academy a nd is all fired up to get out and help people, can see his or her most respected superior beating on someone who really is not deserving of it and eventually turn around and do the same thing. That is not legal of course, but if that officer is not caught then no one is going to know any better. Stamper had been an officer at one time and saw an officer he worked with whom he admired beating others. Basically, the power of being a cop got to Stamper’s head and he took advantage of that power until a prosecutor gave him a reality check. Stamper believes that the cops that have a conscience need to be the ones who take control of the bad seeds and assist with stopping police brutality. (Stamper, 2009)In February 2009, a Washington State Sheriff brought a â€Å"slender 15 year old girl† into custody, brought her into a holding cell and told her to remove her shoes. As she was removing her shoes, she allegedly kicked one off and it hit the officer, Paul Schene, in the shin. This was not done intentionally, but the officer became enraged and began to beat the girl. He kicked her, pulled her hair and put his knees into her back, as well as â€Å"slugging† her. All of this was caught on camera. (Stamper, 2009) Throughout the incident, the girl gave no resistance and after it happened, she was handcuffed and brought out of view of the camera. Later on the girl said she was having trouble breathing and paramedics were called. Officer Schene said only that she had a panic attack. Incidents such as that one are what the public are afraid of and what gives  good cops a bad name. It is reported that the incident with that girl is ranked just as bad as the Rodney King beating and the attack of Abner Louima. (Stamper, 2009) When those incidents become public knowledge, law enforcement needs to scramble to find a reason behind what they did. Often times that is not possible and it makes the public’s already tainted point of view even darker. It is really important for police to communicate with the public and make them aware of things that they did not already know. Perhaps if the public was more aware of things that the police did behind the scenes, they would be more apt to trust in law enforcement and not be so judgmental or critical of them. In some ways, yes citizens do have valid reasons for being so concerned about certain things they hear on the news or read in the papers. But a lot of times, stories may be exaggerated and that will make people worry for no reason. In regards to policing and racism, there are some instances where race does come into play when police are working on solving a certain crime. An example would be a crime family under investigation for any number of crimes. Typically, that particular crime family will only allow certain people into their group and those people are all from the same type of ethnic backgrounds. Another example would be someone like a rapist or serial killer. If they have an eye witness to the crime, they will be able to conduct their investigations based on the witness’s description. The suspect may be of one race or ethnic group and therefore, the police must keep an eye out for people who fit that description. That cannot be considered racial, although people will still say that it is. (Connolly, 2001)While not everyone will agree that the police are not shady and are giving people breaks that do not deserve them, everyone should agree that in the case of an emergency, it is nice to know that they have someone around who will be able to assist them. It is important for the public to know that they have help when they need it. Sometimes, police will offer a professional courtesy to a fellow officer and when the public gets wind of that, chaos breaks. Most people will not agree that police officers should not be punished for a crime that a civilian commits and gets punished for. This makes the general  public very angry and then they think they are not able to count on the police when they really need to. Law enforcement also needs to remember that if they are going to allow a member of their own force to get away with someone and then they find a citizen who commits the same crime, such as drunk driving, if that person knows that the cop got away with it, they will expect the same treatment. That is a valid argument for them to have. In closing, law enforcement really is there to protect and serve. That is their job and 99.9 percent of those people love what they do. Civilians need to understand and accept that. References Koenig, D.J. (n.d.) Police perceptions of public respect and extra-legal use of force: a reconsideration of folk wisdom and pluralistic ignorance. Canadian Journal of Sociology, 1(3), 313-324. Retrieved April 26, 2009, from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=sih&AN=13959331&site=ehost-livedatabaseConnolly, C.P. (2001). In Defense of Police. The National Executive Institute Associates (NEIA). Retrieved April 27, 2009, from http://www.neiassociates.org/defense.htmStamper, N. (2009, March 11). Former Police Chief on Cop Brutality: â€Å"Law Enforcement Doesn’t Pick Bad Apples; It Makes Them†. Huffington Post retrieved on April 27, 2009 from http://www.alternet.org/rights/131014/former_police_chief_on_cop_brutality:_%22law_enforcement_doesn’t_pick_bad_apples%3B_it_makes_them%22/

The 17th and 18th centuries were a time of great political change in Research Paper

The 17th and 18th centuries were a time of great political change in Europe - Research Paper Example To begin with, Hobbes being a scholar, his main aim was to place politics on a scientific grip, hence employing a strict logical method to his work. In contrast, Machiavelli having worked as one of the civil servants of Florentine Republic drew his conclusions, after observing how people behaved instead of how they should behave in an intangible and hypothetical world2. It is this methodology difference, which leads to differing political views of these two authors. Hobbes, writing Leviathan immediately after the end of civil war and unfruitful tries at republicanism in Europe, held less estimation of the nature of human beings that Machiavelli. According to Hobbes, if two individuals have desire of a certain thing, which they cannot enjoy at the same time, then they become enemies3. Hobbes argued that, people living in such state were continuously at war, and they could not differentiate between right and wrong. The two lived a life that was poor, solitary, short, brutish, and nasty. Resulting from his reductionist methodology, taking societal analysis to a position of human nature, he made his conclusion with a main realist assumption (anarchy). In such a state, every individual has his or her natural right for protection against injury or harm4. Therefore, Hobbes’s arguments purports that there must be fundamental laws to avoid the state of war. On contrary, Machiavelli does not reflect a theoretical state of nature like Hobbes. Howev er, Machiavelli argues, â€Å"there is no secret hand, which brings human activities into natural harmony†. Another factor differentiating these two political theorists is their diverging views about governance. According to Hobbes, it was the speculation on how a society functions without set rules. Hobbes felt that individuals would simply be doing things according to their own interests. Regarding how people should act, Hobbes makes

Media Ethics class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Media Ethics class - Essay Example Definitely, this is a bit misconstrued given the very personal nature of the relationships revealed from the start. However, the fact that Nev was already aware of the fact that something was â€Å"amiss† may suggest that they only wanted to get to the bottom of the story, â€Å"see the story through†. In this regard, I would consider their decision to travel to Michigan as an ethical act. This position is informed by the sensitivity and relevance of the issue at hand. Facebook is currently the most subscribed form of social media( Plaisance 167 ). All persons who subscribe to it have different goals as evidenced by the documentary, therefore, it would be important for the media to educate the masses on this aspect. This way, the media plays its critical role which is educating people on the various perspectives and the widespread intentions of people taking to social media. I look at the decision to travel to Michigan as a way of providing the reality check and bringin g to the viewers the intrigues and deceptions that can take place in the social media. This way, the public is informed and hopefully individuals are able to take due caution in interacting with strangers in social media. This ethical stance is informed by Jeremy Bentham’s and John Stuart Mill’s utilitarianism theory. The theory asserts that the right course of action is that which maximizes utility it is that which delivers greatest good to the greatest number. In this case, Nev and Ariel upset a few people, the Abby’s family, to educate the entire public on the deceptions and misrepresentations that can be carried on social media. This arguably benefits a large population which would have been oblivious of such reality. Further, this view is very much in line with Plaisance thoughts on the media people who must recognize that they are creatures of community and must take the responsibility towards others as we are all interconnected and must care for each other (Plaisance

Compare and Contrast Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Compare and Contrast Religion - Essay Example Christian Theism is the classical Christian philosophy of 17th century. The word â€Å"theism† is derived from the Greek word â€Å"theos† which means God. The word was first used in this context by Mr. Ralph Cudworth in the 17th Century. Literally speaking, Christian Theism is, in fact, propagation of Monotheism which means that there is only one God. Many argue that Christian Theism is based on Judaism, the Pagan Gods and the old Greek philosophy but this is disputed and, to a large extent, a matter of opinion. The first two attributes, when read together gives an apparently contradictory yet interwoven understanding of God. Theism defines God to be personal – which means God has characteristics of a human being. Hence God thinks and acts like a human being, takes interest and is involved in the activities of his creations – that is our universe and us, human beings. At the same time, God is also perceived as infinite and transcendent and therefore one can never truly understand or comprehend his nature. As Sire (2004) frames it â€Å"This means that he is beyond scope, beyond measure, as far as we are concerned........All else is secondary†(Sire,â€Å"The Universe Next Door†,2004).Theism also defines God to be omnipresent – and thereby always aware of what is happening in this world. God is, hence, present in everything but not the thing itself. And God is also perceived to be good and thereby all his actions are for the good of human beings. This philosophy throws up some interesting thinking and concepts. This inherently assumes that the world is logical and has a co-relation between cause and effect. God has created an underlying order into the universe and therefore the world and the universe is meaningful. Though not a defined Christian Theist, perhaps the best expression of this concept was uttered by Mr. Albert Einstein when he said â€Å"You believe in the god who plays dice, and I in complete law and order

What is the best nursing intervention to prevent urinary tract Essay

What is the best nursing intervention to prevent urinary tract infection for older people - Essay Example Very few of the nursing interventions have been studied and proven to be safe and useful to the patient. The paper will mainly focus on the best available evidencesupporting nursing interventions for the elderly that suffer from incontinence and urinary tract infections. Older people will be the main focus because of their vulnerability to infections (Miller, 2008) and the care provided to them. Definitions of both terms will be provided and an analysis of each will be done based on the best nursing interventions. Protocols and policies concerning the prevention of urinary tract infections will be looked at and of major interests will be examined from a range of countries. The subject is very important because it provides an insight into the issues concerning incontinence and urinary tract infection in the elderly adults. It also provides information of the best nursing practices that can be used in the prevention of these conditions and provide a future plan for the control and prevention of such conditions. Incontinence is a very common, disturbing and potentially immobilizing condition in the elderly or geriatric population. Incontinence can be defined as an involuntary loss of the stool or urine in adequate quantities or frequency to comprise a health and/or a social problem (Vieria, 2009). The condition is heterogeneous and it varies in severity from the occasional incidents of trickling small quantities of urine to a continuous urinary incontinence and associated fecal incontinence (Abrass, Kane and Ouslander, 2004). Older persons with incontinence are not usually severely bedridden, demented or in the nursing homes. Many of these patients in the community and in the institutions are ambulatory and their mental functioning is good (Abrass, Kane and Ouslander, 2004). Incontinence has impact on the self-esteem of the patient and there is the usual fear of soiling or wetting during a sexual intercourse and this has a

Supermarket Buyers Using Suppliers as Cannon Fodder Supply Management Assignment

Supermarket Buyers Using Suppliers as Cannon Fodder Supply Management - Assignment Example Supermarkets are engaging to exploit all the possible opportunities and they are doing so, by aggressive purchasing from multiple suppliers (Jennings, 2014). Purchasing from large number of manufacturers gives them power to bargain on price and quantity and due to this power they are generating more profits, whereas food manufacturers are suffering. This price war has raised many questions among marketers and economics, and they are seeing this war as an unfair tactic of retailers which is creating negative impact on the overall supply chain.Supermarkets are engaging to exploit all the possible opportunities and they are doing so, by aggressive purchasing from multiple suppliers (Jennings, 2014). Purchasing from large number of manufacturers gives them power to bargain on price and quantity and due to this power they are generating more profits, whereas food manufacturers are suffering. This price war has raised many questions among marketers and economics, and they are seeing this w ar as an unfair tactic of retailers which is creating negative impact on the overall supply chain. In today’s dynamic world, companies are not competing with each other in fact their whole supply chains are competing and retailers are creating trouble for the supply chains of different manufacturers (Bolton, Shankar, & Montoya, 2010). Additionally, many economists believe that a supply chain is as strong as its weakest link and retailers are weakening the supply chains of manufacturers by demanding heavy contribution from them and by aggressive purchasing.

Communication Theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Communication Theories - Essay Example Another criterion that can help me through my pronouncement is that creativity is my department. I have always been enormously creative and therefore I prefer studying a field that necessitates creative minds so that I may easily excel in it. Due to this reason, I get more dragged towards studying marketing as marketing is all about creativity, new ideas and innovations that help in promoting any particular thing. The advantages of marketing that I perceive over communication is that while studying communications I can only utilize my power of communicating whereas marketing will help me exploit both of my capabilities, i.e., communicating as well as creativity. Marketing involves communicating as well as convincing one’s words to others along with ingenious, inspiring and innovative activities, but, communication only involves skills to exchange a few words well with the mass. (â€Å"What is marketing?†) One disadvantage that I feel about marketing is that I might get employed by such a company that produces unhealthy stuff such as tobacco, cigarette etc. in such a case I will have to promote unhealthy and hazardous products and convince people to buy and use them. Marketing infatuates me more than communications but still, there are its drawbacks that compel me to ponder more and more over both the fields before the final

Child and Youth Friendly Banking Product Development Guide Research Paper

Child and Youth Friendly Banking Product Development Guide - Research Paper Example Today the youth population globally is 1.2 billion representing the world’s largest youth population (UNCDF, 2012). This research analysis examined the feasibility of offering child and youth friendly banking products (CYFI) as a partial solution to the problems confronting children and young people in terms of achieving a viable economic future. In order to analyse the challenges and opportunities for CYFI, an empirical study was conducted in which a total of 10 executives from different banks were interviewed. It is concluded that the provision of CYFI can only be achieved through a multi-agency approach which includes policy makers, legislators, bankers, educators and other financial services. This partnership is necessary to overcome the risks associated with contracting with minors, the relative immaturity of minors relative to their ability to understand and take responsibility for financial management and other challenges that will be identified in this research report analysis. Table of contents INTRODUCTION LITERATURE REVIEW CHAPTER 1 1. Introduction 2. Research Question 3. Methodology 4. Literature review CHAPTER 2 1. Why are child and youth friendly banking products important? 2. What would the ideal child and youth financial product look like? 3. What is the current state of child and youth friendly banking products? 4. What are real-life examples of characteristics of child and youth friendly banking products? 5. What is the current state of certification? CHAPTER 3 1. Findings 2. Conclusion Reference INTRODUCTION According to the CYFI access to financial products by youth and children is described as either a savings or checking account held by a child or a young person who is under the age of 18. The child or young person is also required to have significant control over the account and includes means by which the child or youth has â€Å"financial incentives†, includes strategies for communicating employment, is connected to financ ing the child or youth’s education, canvasses the child or youth’s â€Å"satisfaction†, and has â€Å"internal controls† for monitoring these factors. Once the criteria as set forth below is met, the financial institution offering CYFI is eligible for certification for providing Child and Youth Friendly Banking Products (Child & Youth Finance International). The Child and Youth Finance Movement began the initiative for encouraging and implementing policies and services that comport with five core principles. The first of these core principles are informed by international human rights and in particular the Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989. In this regard, the first core principle maintains that children and young people are entitled to human and economic rights and protections. The second core principle advocates that institutions have a duty to operate their business affairs so that children and

Film, Culture and Society Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Film, Culture and Society - Movie Review Example (Sklar, 1994) Perhaps the reason why Depp has attracted a lot of attention outside his film could be because of his charming personality. He reports to interviews with a cigar in hand and then says hallo to all the members surrounding of the camera crew. Additionally, the actor is quite comfortable with his own personality because he is not afraid of experimenting with fashion. The actor can wear boots that were synonymous with the nineteen eighties and still hold his head high. Depp tops this up with his good looks and makes many Hollywood enthusiasts interested in his escapades. Besides these, Depp is quite enterprising; he owns a club called Viper Room in the heart off Hollywood. But then again, the tabloids reported that this place has more drugs than soda. Speaking of escapades, Depp has had his share of dramatic scenes in his personal life. He was reported by some newspaper reporters that he had trashed hotel. As if this is not enough he has had some drug addiction issues in the past but this does not stop the public from loosing interest in his new developments. Maybe it is these negative remarks that keep the public anxious. (Shatz, 2002) Fellow actors such as Penelope Cruz have asserted that Depp is quite a humorous man. He is indeed natural and charismatic at the same time. They claim that this is the most outstanding feature about him and this could also be the reason why he has been in and out of relationships. Johnny Depp's' films Johnny Depp has contributed to the film industry in his own unique way. However, some critics argue that he is not an actor worth his salt. This can be attributed to some of the headless horsemen movies he has done in the past. These movies undermined the strength of Depp's acting abilities. However, these arguments pale when one examines other films done by Depp. For instance the films; 'Before Night Falls' and 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' did very well in the box office. The one thing they both had in common was the fact that Johnny Depp was the main character. He seems to have an ability to carry heavy roles with the depth they deserve. Taking an example of the movie 'Blow'; Depp plays the role of a tough, fearless and tragic drug dealer. Depp was chosen for this role because he has the capacity to bring out the negative aspects in the lead role. On the other hand, this does not undermine the fact that he still displays the tragic end to the movie with the compassion and dignity it deserves. Depp chooses his film roles carefully as most of them depict central characters. Conclusion Johnny Depp is a charismatic, humorous and striking person in real life. This larger-than-life off -screen character has influenced the level of success and hence his stardom. (Neve, 1992) The issues going on behind the camera have adversely affected the roles played in front of the camera in terms of the offers presented to Depp. After assessing Depp's life; controversy is indeed a marketing tool in Hollywood as Depp only became truly famous after people started following up his private life. Success of Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge as a postmodernist film Introduction The essay will examine the extent to which Baz Luhrmann's the Moulin Rouge film has depicted postmodernism with a specific focus on Parody /pastiche. Discussion The film's main theme serves as a template for the expression of parody. The

Descartes Free

Descartes Free Will Essay In Meditations on First Philosophy Descartes attempts to explain the cause of errors in human beings. Descartes says that error occurs since the will extends further than the intellect (Descartes p. 39). Thats because our intellect is something that is finite; it is limited to the perception of only certain things. Whereas our will, ability to choose is not limited; it is has an infinite capacity. Therefore we sometimes attempt to will things which we do not have a complete understanding of. Descartes argument, as I will briefly describe, is quite sound, if you agree to all his conditions (being that the intellect is limited and the will infinite). I am not, as of yet, sure if I necessarily agree to the later of his two conditions. I will strive to evaluate different discernments of what will is, and if it is truly free. Then apply it to his argument. But first let me explain Descartes argument on the causation of errors. Descartes discussion begins in saying that errors depend on the simultaneous concurrence of two causes: the faculty of knowing that is in me and the faculty of choosing (Descartes p. 38). I will first tackle the faculty of knowing, or intellect. Descartes says that it merely perceives and understands ideas, which can later have judgment passed on them (see Descartes p. 38). The intellect is limited and finite because it can occur in different degrees. While some people have a simple understanding of a language others have a mastery of its grammar and syntax. But no one can have a mastery of all the mysteries of the universe. Then there is the faculty of choosing, as Descartes calls it, or rather the will. Descartes says that he experience[s] that it is limited by no boundaries whatever (Descartes p. 38). It is seen as infinite because unlike the intellect is does to adhere to different grades. It exists merely as a matter of being able to do or not to do something; to affirm or deny something proposed by ones intellect (see Descartes p. 38). In some cases ones will is unable to make such a decision, Descartes says, not because of a fault in the will but rather because the intellect is lacking complete knowledge of the situation (see Descartes p. 39). It is here that one should be indifferent to passing judgment. If in such a instance indifference is not the outcome an error is most likely to occur. Descartes says that this error will occur only when both work together because alone they cannot produce error. Thats because intellect, in and of itself, only perceives ideas which one knows and error would only occur if one tried to perceive ideas he did not know, which is impossible. The other, the will, in that it acts of itself, is only a utility of choice which alone cannot error. Therefore error and sin occur when both intellect and will work with each other. It is the disproportion between the limit of the will and the intellect that causes blunders. The will, as Ive stated, is a limitless aspect of ourselves and therefore can pass judgment on any proposition brought forth. But the intellect can only clearly perceive and understand very few propositions. As Descartes says it is where I extend it (the will) to things I do not understand (Descartes p. 39) that error is caused. Thats because one is, instead of acting indifferent, passing judgment on things that are not clear in the intellect. A person can easily then turn away from the good and truth given to our intellect by God and partake in sin and deceit (see Descartes p. 39). The finally area that Descartes adds is that in some instances a person can pass judgment on things that arent understood and not produce an error. In those cases the person has still acted in an incorrect manor, but it is just be chance that the correct choice, or judgment was made (see Descartes p. 40). It is here that I have concluded Descartes argument and will now attempt to seek answers to my own questions: If the will is in fact as free as Descartes speaks? If it is actually comparable to that of Gods? And if its ideal state is the same as that of practical use? The first aspect I would like to navigate through is the constraints placed on the ability to choose. One does not have the opportunity to choose freely in an organized society, community or institute. There seems to always be a restriction to the actual amount of choices one has. If Descartes was correct in his assumption of complete freedom of choice and will every option would be available to someone at any given time, in any given situation. But this is not necessarily the condition. There are a few different examples that one can view to comprehend this facet of my argument. Take for instance, perhaps an extreme but an occurrence none the less, people born of poverty do not have the ability to choose to acquire certain things. It is impossible simply by the fact that they do not have the means to get it. There is no choice of purchasing a fifty dollar object if all one has is twenty dollars. I feel though that perhaps Descartes was speaking of another free will, a non-materialistic aspect. Another example one can then try to explain is how in many middle eastern nations individuals are born into a society where one religion is forced upon them. They must live to follow this religion or risk outcast by the community or even death. In such a decision one does not have the opportunity to choose to not follow the religion because, although it may seem available, most choices against the norm bring with them an extreme consequences. Is there really a free will if one knows a consequence to be so evil, or heinous that they really have no choice but to go with the other option. On the other hand if Descartes was strictly speaking of free will in the sense of judgment and affirmation another option arises. One should have the ability to, in a sense, will something even if its not available to him. For example if a person has been convicted of a crime and is going to be sent to prison he can will that he doesnt have to go. Although here is seems that willing something is almost in a way the same as wishing it. But if it does follow that free will is only involved in passing judgment then a person can will whatever they want in their own mind, it doesnt mean necessarily that they will receive it. But one again this illustration is somewhat similar to my previous two, in that, if in actuality a choice will provide no outcome is the choice even there and if not its a limited faculty. The definition of limitless qualities that Descartes affiliates with the will is something that is questionable as well. Descartes, in a sense, contradicts himself when he says that he can see mans image and likeness to God in the ability to choose because both are infinite (see Descartes p. 38). But then says that the faculty of willing is incomparably greater in God than it is in me because of the power and knowledge God uses with it (ibid). So I ponder then if the ability to will cannot truly stand on its on, because by Descartes definition it passes certain judgment on something else, and that something in God is greater, how can one be equal to God. How can His infinite ability be greater than mans infinite ability. By definition there are no degrees of infinite, there is only finite or infinite, limited or limitless. In such a practical aspect I must appeal to my reason and then say that we cannot have an equal will to that of Gods. I say this because Gods willing can partake on any area of knowledge and have a boundless consequence over many things. Where as mans cannot. As I said, that was my practical deduction of our will in comparison to Gods. I was sure to state practical because I do feel there is a great difference between ones free will in a practical sense and an ideal sense. Actually in the practical sense I will be so bold as to say ones will is not free at all. All the examples I have given are practical uses of the will. And all of these examples seem limited for a number of reasons. As I already pointed out, I felt that the comparison between mans will and God will not be equal because in practice will cannot stand unaccompanied. That is why the will is not free or infinite in a realistic way because it never stands by itself. It relies on other faculties that, as Descartes even says, are limited which in turn make it limited. Therefore when people are faced with choices, like in my examples, not all the options are available because of a lack of knowledge or perhaps a constraint placed on someone from his society. If the will was able to stand alone I would agree that it is an infinite faculty but it doesnt. Hence I must also reason that the will Descartes speaks of is not the will that can be used in practice but rather it is an ideal will. In this ideal state people would be able to will anything they wanted, although they would most likely not receive it. In an ideal state I would have been able to will that I did not have to do this paper and not receive and F on it, but I very well know that would not have been possible. But the acting of willing alone would be free and infinite. I now must apply what I have learned to Descartes original argument of error. Since I have concluded that the ability to choose, or will that Descartes speaks of is ideal, this causation of error would also be ideal. Descartes said that when one should be acting indifferent to things and does not is when errors or correct choices by luck occur (see Descartes p. 39). Ideally this would be true, but in actuality many things lead to errors, and prevention of errors as well. Of course I do agree that in many cases mistakes are made because of people make judgments on things they have lack of knowledge of. But errors and sin can also occur when people have no other choice. For instance if a person is held at gun point and told to do something he may very well be passing a false judgment on something he has total knowledge of and in turn acting in error. From the other side of the argument Descartes says that to prevent himself from ever erring he must follow his feeling of indifference and stick with it instead of attempting to affirm or deny something (see Descartes p. 41). But I must also add to this argument that society does place constraints on things to prevent people from committing errors. Therefore it is not entirely internal. So I will conclude with saying that I have no choice but to say, from my reasoning, that in Meditation on First Philosophy Descartes speaks of a very ideal situation which would, in that state, hold true. But in the practical world ones perception cannot be so narrow because there are many facets that contribute to what we can do and why we can do them. Works Cited Descartes, Rene. (1993). Meditations on First Philosophy . translated by Donald A. Cress. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Publishing Corp.

How Henry David Thoreaus Influence Is Evident Today Philosophy Essay

How Henry David Thoreaus Influence Is Evident Today Philosophy Essay Henry David Thoreau preached the prospects of being non-violent and described the effects wars have had on humans as a whole. To give some background information, David Thoreau was born on 1817 in Concord, Massachusetts. When he was around the age of sixteen, he enrolled himself in Harvards Latin, Greek, grammar composition, and philosophy classes. While at college he soon became engrossed in Ralph Waldo Emersons famous writings. Unknown to him, Ralph Waldo Emerson would become a leading example in his decision making and overall, his friend. Henry David Thoreau graduated in 1837 and became a school teacher. During the year 1841 he had the pleasure of living with Ralph Waldo Emerson. While with him he grew in knowledge and thus set off on his own voyage. He soon moved to Walden Ponds where he lived for about two years. During a trip into town he was thrown into jail for refusing to pay a poll tax, which went to help war efforts against Mexico. While imprisoned and unbeknownst to him he would be writing one of the most famous and historic essays of that time entitled, Civil Disobedience. A broad margin of leisure is as beautiful in a mans life as in a book. Haste makes waste, no less in life than in housekeeping. Keep the time, observe the hours of the universe, not of the cars. (All quotes are from http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/h/henry_david_thoreau.html#ixzz1KT5xN8ne) A truly good book teaches me better than to read it. I must soon lay it down, and commence living on its hint. What I began by reading, I must finish by acting. As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may seem, am satisfied that it does not agree with my constitution. Books are the carriers of civilization. Without books, history is silent, literature dumb, science crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill. I think that there is nothing, not even crime, more opposed to poetry, to philosophy, ay, to life itself than this incessant business. Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life youve imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler. How did Henry David Thoreau view non-violent resistance? He felt that all of humanity had a right to decide whether to fight or not. He viewed this as much more than actions but as a state of mind. Just not taking part in war wasnt enough. You had to truly understand the principles. He along with Ralph Waldo Emerson thought that each person was entitled to his own opinion and decision making. That government is best which governs least. That quotation was taken from his famous essay entitled Civil Disobedience. Henry David Thoreau wasnt against the government, but just a few laws and mandates. Henry David Thoreau thought that even though America, as a whole was gaining prosperity, it was also losing integrity. As time progressed he witnessed America losing its values and foundation, which had made it such a noble nation. Another thing he noticed about the Government was that they did not keep the country free. They proclaimed many times about America being the land of the free, but h e viewed that as a false statement. Henry David Thoreau was anti-statism. That government is best which governs least; and I should like to see it acted up to more rapidly and systematically. Carried out, it finally amounts to this, which also I believe,-That government is best which governs not at all; and when men and women are prepared for it, that will be the kind of government which they will have. He felt strongly about his beliefs and as a result he didnt want to take part in wars. Since he was a scholar and was very knowledgeable, surely he had read about the effects of past wars. He knew that wars only brought about pain, suffering, and more turmoil. Ending One war would bring about 10 fold he stated. You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty. The obedient must be slaves. All endeavor calls for the ability to tramp the last mile, shape the last plan, endure the last hours to il. The fight to the finish spirit is the one characteristic we must possess if we are to face the future as finishers. How did Henry David Thoreau practice non-violent resistance? Henry David Thoreau didnt take part in the governments wars. He simply refused no matter the consequences. His example should be commended because he stood by his beliefs no matter what. As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives. From this quote we can see that he didnt give up. He also made it clear what he believed not only in his essays but also to government officials. Every man casts a shadow; not his body only, but his imperfectly mingled spirit. This is his grief. Let him turn which way he will, it falls opposite to the sun; short at noon, long at eve. Did you never see it? I am sorry to think that you do not get a mans most effective criticism until you provoke him. Severe truth is expre ssed with some bitterness. Henry David Thoreau did not live in a big city. He knew that only trouble could come from being a non-violent resister. So too make his life easier he never got married and he lived in the woods. I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. If a man walks in the woods for love of them half of each day, he is in danger of being regarded as a loafer. But if he spends his days as a speculator, shearing off those woods and making the earth bald before her time, he is deemed an industrious and enterprising citizen. I have never found a companion that was so companionable as solitude. We are for the most part more lonely when we go abroad among men than when we stay in our chambers. A man thinking or working is always alone, let him be where he will. What Individuals did Henry David Thoreau influence? Unfortunately Henry David Thoreau died of tuberculosis May 6, 1862, at the age of 44. After his death the world changed drastically. As he passed away a new light shined over America. President Abraham Lincoln freed all slaves in the United States. This would lead to a momentous future for African Americans. One in particular was Dr. Martin Luther King. He was an important figure in African American Literature and in history in general. Like Henry David Thoreau he believed you could conquer the evil with the good. Dr. Martin Luther King was not anti-government. All he fought for was true freedom and equality. He felt that black werent being treated fairly. He knew what America motto was, The Land of The Free, and thats what he wanted. He wanted that prospect not only for himself but also for the other millions of other African American in the United States. About half way across the world another individual took a stand for non viol ent resistance. His name was Mohandas Gandhi. During the time he lived in, he too was surrounded by war. The British had taken control of Gandhis nation and their people were prepared to take it back. Gandhi preached about not taking up arms and told his fellow countrymen what war would do to the country and to future generations. Some listened, but many opposed his teachings because they thought of him as not being loyal to the government and to the main religion in India, Hinduism. Loyalty was very during that time because the nation needed to join together in order to become free from the British. It is better to have your head in the clouds, and know where you are than to breathe the clearer atmosphere below them, and think that you are in paradise. Make the most of your regrets; never smother your sorrow, but tend and cherish it till it comes to have a separate and integral interest. To regret deeply is to live afresh. Live the life youve dreamed. Justice is sweet and musical; but injustice is harsh and discordant. It is what a man thinks of himself that really determines his fate. It is the greatest of all advantages to enjoy no advantage at all. Both of these two individuals had an important impact on history, not only in the United States But all over the world. Since Dr. Martin Luther King fought so hard for the rights and freedom of African Americans, everyone today has the privilege of living their dreams and not being held back. We have a prime example of one individual who wasnt held back by anything, and that is President Barack Obama. Many years ago Dr. Martin Luther King spoke about such freedom and how we needed a change, and now we have it. Thanks to him our possibilities in the world are limitless. The Second Individual Henry David Thoreau influenced was Gandhi. We benefit from his actions to day because a lot of our leaders in the world, base their decisions on his way of thinking Being peaceable was truly the right way to take and a lot of our political leaders are that way. What was Henry David Thoreaus Message? Basically Thoreau wanted, not only for himself but for everyone, the prospects of free will. He felt that the government was abusing their right to rule. He also believed that people should decide for themselves whether or not to take another humans life and participate in war efforts. Thoreau wasnt all talk. He too was persecuted for his actions. There is no value in life except what you choose to place upon it and no happiness in any place except what you bring to it yourself. Truth is always in harmony with herself, and is not concerned chiefly to reveal the justice that may consist with wrong-doing. We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake, not by mechanical aid, but by an infinite expectation of the dawn. Why should we be in such desperate haste to succeed, and in such desperate enterprises? If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Henry David Thoreau is impacting humans today because he used a logical method of reasoning. The information he wrote in his essay are just as important and beneficial today as it was 100s of years ago. The things he wrote down can help us all to on becoming a better nation and better people. Next we will consider an excerpt from his essay entitled Civil Disobedience. Government is at best but an expedient; but most governments are usually, and all governments are sometimes, inexpedient. The objections which have been brought against a standing army, and they are many and weighty, and deserve to prevail, may also at last be brought against a standing government. The standing army is only an arm of the standing government. The government itself, which is only the mode which the people have chosen to execute their will, is equally liable to be abused and perverted before the people can act through it. Witness the present Mexican war, the work of comparatively a few individuals using the standing government as theIt does not keep the country free. It does not settle the West. It does not educate. The character inherent in the American people has done all that has been accomplished; and it would have done somewhat more, if the government had not sometimes got in its way. If tool; for in the outset, the people would not have consented to this measure. After all, the practical reason why, when the power is once in the hands of the people, a majority are permitted, and for a long period continue, to rule is not because they are most likely to be in the right, nor because this seems fairest to the minority, but because they are physically the strongest. But a government in which the majority rules in all cases cannot be based on justice, even as far as men understand it. Can there not be a government in which the majorities do not virtually decide right and wrong, but conscience?in which majorities decide only those questions to which the rule of expediency is applicable? Must the citizen ever for a moment, or in the least degree, resign his conscience to the legislator? Why has every man a conscience then? I think that we should be men first, and subjects afterward. It is not desirable to cultivate a respect for the law, so much as for the right. The only obligation which I have a right to assume is to do at any time what I think right. It is truly enough said that a corporation has no conscience; but a corporation on conscientious men is a corporation with a conscience. He who gives himself entirely to his fellow men appears to them useless and selfish; but he who gives himself partially to them in pronounced a benefactor and philanthropist. How does it become a man to behave toward the American government today? I answer, that he cannot without disgrace be associated with it. I cannot for an instant recognize that political organization as my government which is the slaves government also. I have contemplated the imprisonment of the offender, rather than the seizure of his goodstho ugh both will serve the same purposebecause they who assert the purest right, and consequently are most dangerous to a corrupt State, commonly have not spent much time in accumulating property. To such the State renders comparatively small service, and a slight tax is wont to appear exorbitant, particularly if they are obliged to earn it by special labor with their hands. If there were one who lived wholly without the use of money, the State itself would hesitate to demand it of him. But the rich mannot to make any invidious comparisonis always sold to the institution which makes him rich. Absolutely speaking, the more money, the less virtue; for money comes between a man and his objects, and obtains them for him; it was certainly no great virtue to obtain it. (http://www.transcendentalists.com/civil_disobedience.htm) In conclusion, how can we use his message in our daily lives? Henry David Thoreau would have wanted the Untied States to be a place where people held the power, or in other words the majority rules. It may seem like that today but, if there was a draft, any and everyone the government wanted to fight, would have to fight. We could stand firm against opposition and keep Thoreaus words at the forefront of our minds. We could stop paying our taxes, just like he did but that would lead to calamity on down the road. His being neural in politics and wars could prove to be beneficial in the future, because staying out of wars could save our lives despite some government persecution. So behave that the odor of your actions may enhance the general sweetness of the atmosphere, that when we behold or scent a flower, we may not be reminded how inconsistent your deeds are with it; for all odor is but one form of advertisement of a moral quality, and if fair actions had not been performed, the lil y would not smell sweet. The foul slime stands for the sloth and vice of man, the decay of humanity; the fragrant flower that springs from it, for the purity and courage which are immortal. Only nature has a right to grieve perpetually, for she only is innocent. Soon the ice will melt, and the blackbirds sing along the river which he frequented, as pleasantly as ever. The same everlasting serenity will appear in this face of God, and we will not be sorrowful, if he is not. Our moments of inspiration are not lost though we have no particular poem to show for them; for those experiences have left an indelible impression, and we are ever and anon reminded of them. Politics is the gizzard of society, full of grit and gravel, and the two political parties are its opposite halves sometimes split into quarters which grind on each other. Not only individuals but states have thus a confirmed dyspepsia. Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand instead of a million count half a dozen, and keep your accounts on your thumb-nail. The youth gets together his materials to build a bridge to the moon, or, perchance, a palace or temple on the earth, and, at length, the middle-aged man concludes to build a woodshed with them. To read well, that is, to read true books in a true spirit, is a noble exercise, and one that will task the reader more than any other exercise which the customs of the day esteem. It requires a training such as the athletes underwent, the steady intention almost of the whole life to this object. Work Cited Page http://www.thoreau-online.org/henry-david-thoreau-biography.htm http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/h/henry_david_thoreau.html#ixzz1KT5xN8ne http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/house-passes-the-13th-amendment http://www.transcendentalists.com/civil_disobedience.htm

Impact of Diseases on Population Health

Impact of Diseases on Population Health Contents Introduction Different Diseases their Impact on Health Status of Population Diabetes Cholera Diphtheria Malaria Measles Arthritis Influence of various factors on Public Health Policies Efficacy of the Various Factors Involved Alternative Approaches to Address the Different Health Problems Conclusion References: Introduction Each and every year there are many chronic or non-infectious as well as infectious diseases that claim the lives of a great number of people all over the world (Vries, Cohen Rood, 1990). In America, this number is more than one and a half million. Every seven out of ten deaths occur in America due to such diseases and thus it is but more than important to prevent them in one way or the other. There are many rules, regulations and policies made each and every year in order to overcome these diseases but they are not enough as long as they are not properly executed in real life. Moreover, a lot of awareness needs to be brought in the mind of the general population so that they can take a greater level of precaution and thereby prevent the diseases from happening or nipping them in the bud at a very early stage (Kradin, 2010). Government also has a major role to play in this context as different campaigns can be done in different populations to highlight the diseases and their effects and thereby grow the eagerness in them to take precaution before as well as after the disease. The burden of non-infectious diseases is preventable to a great extent. This is because of the fact that non-infectious diseases like that of heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes occur in individuals as a reflection of how they lead their lives or how they respond to the physical as well as social environments that they work under. With the advancement of the technological as well as industrial aspects, people have had much less need to be dependent on their own physical activities as most of the work are done by the everyday machines that surround us. Intake of unhealthy meals is also a reason for the occurrence of these kinds of diseases. Physical inactivity, use of tobacco, consumption of alcohol in an unhealthy manner and poor nutrition are the main reason why an individual become the victim of heart diseases, stroke, asthma, diabetes, arthritis and other such non-communicable or non-infectious diseases (Buchan Cathrall, 1797). Thus it can be said that the choice of a poor or unhealthy lifestyle is the main reason why these kinds of diseases happen to people. Thus if a proper and appropriate awareness is developed in the population about the way in which a healthy lifestyle can be lead, these diseases can be controlled to a great extent. Thus along with the other social, political factors that matter in this context, the individual’s own consciousness regarding himself and the people around him or her is also very much required (Bunch, 1997). Different Diseases their Impact on Health Status of Population Each and every population is in one way or the other affected by a wide range of diseases. The following list gives a brief description of the different kinds of diseases that the human population has to deal with and how they are intensely affected by them. Diabetes Diabetes mellitus or better known as diabetes is the disease where the individual is affected with high blood sugar level. The common symptoms of this disease are that of urination in a very frequent manner, increase in the thirst of the person and also a great increase in the hunger of the person (Stehouwer Schaper, 2009). In case of diabetes too, the factors of overweight and physical inactivity play a major role in developing risk factors in the individuals for this particular disease. Thus it can be prevented by taking a little care. Source: Stehouwer Schaper, 2009. The conversion of sugar into energy is very essential in our body and that is done by the hormone insulin which converts glucose into energy. When sufficient amount of insulin in not produced in our body, the level of glucose rises in the body and hence, it shows abnormality in the daily proceeding in that particular human being and causes diabetes. The complications of diabetes involves feeling tired, feeling constantly thirsty, passing urine frequently, slow healing infections, blurred vision, itching in the skin or genital area, tingling and numbness in the feet or in the hands, unexplained weakness and fatigue, weight loss, vomiting and nausea. There are mainly two types of diabetes occurring in the society and they are Type 1 or insulin dependent diabetes that is also called Juvenile Diabetes and Type 2 or non insulin dependent diabetes that is also called Adult onset diabetes (Jackman, et. al., 2015). Source: Buschard, 2011. The Type 1 diabetes usually causes to children like young adults and teenagers and they require regular injections of insulin. The Type 2 diabetes usually affects to people above the age of 45 years and they are treated with regular exercise and healthy eating. Insulin tablets and injections are also needed sometimes. However, if Type 1 diabetes is left untreated, the person having type 1 diabetes accumulates dangerous chemical substances that have produced from burning of fat and this condition is known as keto acidosis. Genetic susceptibility is also a factor causing diabetes. The genes of an individual carry proteins and instructions that are need for the functioning of the body. Hence, if anyone parent of an individual is affected with diabetes, then the chances of that individual of having diabetes is higher. Thus, is could be said that the origin of diabetes disease in an individual comes from its heredity. The diagnosis of diabetes disease could be done by the Fasting Plasma G lucose Test and the Oral Glucose Tolerance Test. The Fasting Plasma Glucose Test is done after fasting for at least 8 hours and the Oral Glucose Tolerance Test is also done after 8 hours fasting as well as 2 hours after the person drinks 75 grams of glucose water. There are certain proportions of blood glucose level that determines that the person is suffering from diabetes or not (Buschard, 2011). Source: Jackman, et. al., 2015. Cholera The main reason for the occurrence of Cholera is because of a bacterial infection in the intestine of an individual (Barua Burrows, 1974). The infection in many of the cases can be very mild and thus no proper symptoms can be detected at the beginning. The symptoms of cholera are that of intense diarrhea, vomiting and cramps in the leg. Not each and every patient of cholera will be affected in a major way. Statistics show, that approximately one out of twenty patients of cholera suffer in an intense manner. Since the symptoms of cholera include diarrhea and vomiting, the body of the patient gets easily dehydrated and the person can also go into a state of shock. Thus in an intense case of Cholera, the patient can even die in a matter of a few hours if the person is not provided with proper treatment at the very earliest. The main reason behind a person becoming a victim of the disease of cholera is the intake of contaminated or infected food and water. The areas or locality where there sewage system and provision of drinking water is treated in a poor manner, there is a greater possibility of the people of those areas getting affected with this particular disease (Hayhurst, 2001). And if the feces of the people suffering from cholera get mixed with the system of water supply then the disease can spread in the entire locality at the blink of an eye and thus create an epidemic. The bacterium that causes cholera may live in the environment in some coastal areas. Thus if a person consumes shellfish in a raw manner, then he or she too has the chances of getting affected by the disease as the shellfish may contain that particular bacterium. During the 1800s this disease was very much common in America. The main reason behind it being that of industrialization and thus other industrialized nations were also affected. But the modern systems in which the sewage and water is treated has been able to almost wipe out this disease. Moreover, if tourists go to a place which is affected by cholera, they may even carry the bacterium being exposed to it and as a result bring it back in their native land. Thus simple but effective precautions need to be taken by outside travellers as well the people who live in the region in order to get rid of such a dangerous disease. Diphtheria Diphtheria is the serious disease caused by the infection of a bacterium which ultimately affects the respiratory system or the skin (Guilfoile, 2009). The symptoms of respiratory diphtheria are that of sore throat, fever and in some cases the neck also gets swollen up. In intense or sever cases of diphtheria a layer of membrane gets formed over the throat and for this reason the patient suffers from breathing problems. The kind of diphtheria affecting the skin is known as cutaneous diphtheria and the symptoms of it is that lesions are formed on the skin. If a person affected from this disease is not treated in a proper way then he or she can go to coma or even die. Thus the severity of this disease can very well be understood and thus precaution should be taken at any cost. This disease can be spread by an infected person by the acts of coughing or sneezing. This happens due to the fact that the person actually expels the drops which contain the bacterium of diphtheria and thus the other person coming in contact with it inhales it and thereby becomes a victim of it (Margulies, 2005). The treatment of this disease is mainly done by hospitalizing the patient and giving him or her antibiotics. America has a history of suffering from Diphtheria before 1920s but after that with the introduction of the vaccine – this disease has taken a backseat. Malaria The reason that a person gets affected with malaria is because a person gets affected with the parasite transmitted by the infected mosquitoes (Isle, 2001). The symptoms of this disease can be observed within ten day to four weeks after the individual has been bitten by the infected mosquito. The symptoms of malaria are as follows: chills, fever, sweating, muscle pain and headache. When this disease occurs in a serious or sever manner, then the patient may vomit a lot, suffer from iron deficiency (anemia), kidneys can fail to work properly, can go to coma or even die. The anti-malarial drugs help in curing the disease in the infected patients but there are also many ways in which this particular disease can be prevented to happen. No open fresh waters should be kept in one’s household or neighborhood as that is best breeding place for mosquitoes. Precautions against getting bitten can be taken by igniting mosquito killing coils, covering the windows with nets etc. Each and every individual should avoid getting bitten by mosquitos where the malaria infection is either quite common or if there is already an individual affected with the disease. Since the parasite causing malaria needs warm temperature in order to grow and survive, this disease is mainly found in tropical and sub-tropical countries (Marcus, 2004). Measles This disease is caused by a virus and is highly contagious in nature. The very early symptoms of this disease which can noticed are that of fever, cough, the eyes turn red, and the patient suffers from a runny nose (Rosaler, 2005). Initially, a type of rash appears on the skin where white spots can be noticed around the mouth and a red rash covers the whole body. The longevity of this rash is about four to seven days. In cases where the disease of very severe and intense nature, the patient can also suffer from diarrhea, the ear can get infected, occurrence of pneumonia is also a possibility, the brain can get swelled up (encephalitis) and also death. The measles virus can be transmitted from one person to another by the act of simple sneezing or coughing. The virus has the capability to stay in the air for about two long hours even after the person infected with the virus has left the place. There is no particular remedy or instant treatment for such a disease. The patients are mainly advised to take complete bed rest. Around the world, more than 20 million people are affected with this in each and every year and thus this disease can be said to be very common. But with an effective immunization campaign, this disease can be controlled and thus the population can be kept safe. Arthritis This is a kind or type of the disorder of joints for which the joints gets swollen up. This is a common disease in adults who lead a very unhealthy lifestyle and do not give much importance their own health and eating habits. Arthritis occurs mainly as a result of continuous physical inactivity and a poor nutrition of the individual under consideration. The people who have a greater chance of getting affected by this particular disease are those suffering from the following factors: Obesity, Joint Injuries etc. If a person endeavors to manage his weight and thereby decrease it to a proper limit, then the risk of the person getting affected by arthritis is much lowered. Thus doing physical activity on a regular basis can be considered as a precautionary measurement to such a disease. There are many different kinds of arthritis but the most common of them in existence is that of osteoarthritis. Influence of various factors on Public Health Policies In the United States, the threats due to the environmental health are always increasing and are much more observable in the populations having low income and also in that of the communities where colored people belong (Perrin, Durch Skillman, 1999). The environmental science researchers have always endeavored to find a correlation or association between the environment in which human beings are existing and the condition of health of those people. Thus, the role and responsibility of the primary care physicians as well as that of the other health providers are always in a state of flux as they have to act according to the environment itself. Thus they have an influence on the health policies that are being constructed for the general population to follow. The health of the general population is also one of the responsibilities of an efficient government and thus a governmental body would try to use its resources in order to understand and thereby develop public health policies which will prove to enrich and enhance the lives of the general population (Holland, 1999). Scientific and technological advancement has made a lot of things easier for the general population. Through scientific research work, a lot of effective medicines have been created which helps to treat patients and the basic precautionary medicines are mentioned in the health policies. Through the technological advancement, many devices have been created which helps in the detection as well as cure of many diseases at a very early stage. Thus in a way, the scientific and technical factors also have an influence on the public health policies that are made for the general population. Efficacy of the Various Factors Involved The current public health policies are quite efficient as a lot of diseases have been able to be prevented through the proper execution of these policies. The primary policy of creating awareness regarding the different diseases and their effects is the first step towards preventing and mitigating the various kinds of infectious as well as non-infectious diseases. Through awareness the possibility of the disease occurring will be lowered and thus care and treatment can be done in a proper way. Secondly, as the development in the field of medicine due to the extensive scientific researches done has happened in a great manner, so it has a positive effect on the public health policies (Brownson, 2003). Through governmental endeavor different campaigns are conducted over different regions and places in order to provide with medicinal equipment, giving a clinical check up to the individuals of the area in order of find out if anyone is suffering from any diseases. The policy which states that each individual is needed to go through a medical checkup within time to time actually helps individuals to identify if they are having any health problems at a very early stage. Thus is can be said in a way that the efficacy of the policies and practices are positive in the lives of the general population. Alternative Approaches to Address the Different Health Problems The alternative way in which different diseases can be controlled can be through the process of vaccination. For example, rotavirus, pneumococcal and HPV vaccines can be considered as significant and very important new interventions which can be used to reduce the different diarrheal diseases, infections relating to the respiratory tract or respiration and cervical cancer respectively. Diarrhea can also be controlled with the treatment of zinc, ORS and antibiotics amongst others. Conclusion Thus it can be observed that the human life is vulnerable to the human life but at the same time can be controlled by taking some simple precautionary measures. A lot of factors influence the construction of the public health policies which are helpful for the general population. But it is also the responsibility of the health providers to take care of some ethical issue while doing their job. For example, no care provider should work is he or she is sick as that would increase the opportunity of the disease getting spread. Thus it can very well be understood that the diseases can be ridden off only by the joint effort of both the patient and the care giver. There is not perfect treatment for diabetes but could be controlled by leading a healthy life style along with regular exercise and healthy eating. References: Barua, D., Burrows, W. (1974). Cholera. Philadelphia: Saunders. Brownson, R. (2003). Evidence-based public health. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Buchan, W., Cathrall, I. (1797). Domestic medicine: or, A treatise on the prevention and cure of diseases, by regimen and simple medicines. Philadelphia: Printed by Richard Folwell. For John Low, no. 132, Water-Street, New-York. Bunch, B. (1997). Diseases. Danbury, CT: Grolier Educational. Buschard, K. (2011). What causes type 1 diabetes? Lessons from animal models. APMIS, 119, pp.1-19. Guilfoile, P. (2009). Diphtheria. New York: Chelsea House. Hayhurst, C. (2001). Cholera. New York: Rosen. Holland, W. (1999). Public health policies in the European Union. Aldershot: Ashgate. Isle, M. (2001). Malaria. New York: Rosen Pub. Group. Jackman, J., Chafe, R., Albrechtsons, D., Porter, R., Nugent, C., Waheed, S. and Newhook, L. (2015). Delayed diagnosis and issues with pump usage are the leading causes of diabetic ketoacidosis in children with diabetes living in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. BMC Kradin, R. (2010). Diagnostic pathology of infectious disease. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Elsevier. Marcus, B. (2004). Malaria. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers. Margulies, P. (2005). Diphtheria. New York: Rosen Pub. Group. Perrin, E., Durch, J., Skillman, S. (1999). Health performance measurement in the public sector. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press. Rosaler, M. (2005). Measles. New York: Rosen Pub. Group. Stehouwer, C., Schaper, N. (2009). Diabetes. Oxford: Clinical Pub. Vries, R., Cohen, I., Rood, J. (1990). The Role of micro-organisms in non-infectious diseases. London: Springer-Verlag. 1 | Page

Philosophical Anthropology, Human Nature and the Digital Culture :: Philosophy Philosophical Papers

Philosophical Anthropology, Human Nature and the Digital Culture ABSTRACT: Within contemporary Western philosophy, the issues of human nature and our place in the cosmos have largely been ignored. In the resulting vacuum, the various subcultures that have grown up around the digital computer (the so-called "digital culture") have been actively defining and shaping popular conceptions of what it means to be human and the place of humanity in the digital era. Here one finds an implicit view of human nature that includes recurrent themes such as: an emphasis on mind as information independent of the physical body, the obsolescence of the human body, the elimination of human particularity, the malleability of human nature, and the logic and orderliness of the computer as a metaphor for the cosmos. This view of human nature shares important characteristics with Cartesian and Christian views of human nature long rejected by philosophers. A renewal of the philosophical anthropology movement — devoted to the issues of human nature and humanity's pl ace in the cosmos — permits us to see the inadequacy of the conception of human nature implicit in the digital culture. What am I that I am a human being? What is my place in the nature of things? At the close of the twentieth century, facing the dawn of a new millennium, the goal of paidea or philosophy educating humanity might best be achieved by philosophy recovering and reaffirming its interest in these two anthropological questions. In this essay I defend this claim through an analysis of the view of human nature implicit in the digital culture. For the past several decades, while philosophers have largely ignored anthropological issues, the sub-cultures swirling around computers and other digital technologies have been busy shaping and defining the way in which human nature will be conceived in the next millennium. More often than not, however, these views of human nature are produced in a philosophical and critical vacuum with little thought given to what we as human beings are and what we might become. Philosophers must address this vacuum by renewing their responsibility to speak to these iss ues, once again taking up the work of articulating a philosophical anthropology and providing the guidance on these issues that they once did. Reflection on our nature as human beings and our place in the cosmos has a long tradition in philosophy throughout the world and has surely been a central concern in the history of Western philosophy.

Destiny, Fate, Free Will and Free Choice in Oedipus the King - Power of

The Power of Fate in Oedipus Rex (the King) The underlying theme in Oedipus Rex is that fate is more powerful than free will. On this strong basis of fate, free will doesn't even exist. This was a popular belief among the ancient Greeks.   Fate may be accepted or denied by modern society, but in Oedipus's story, fate proves inevitable. In the play, Oedipus Rex, the characters Oedipus, Iocaste and Laios try to change fate.    In the very beginning of the story, before we hear from the oracle, there is already foreshadowing of Oedipus' impending doom. He, himself, states to the people, "Sick as you are, not one is as sick as I" (Sophocles 5). This statement is almost eerie when looking back upon it. Alone, it seems as if he knows that he is ill fated, but reading on he clarifies his pain in this way:    Each of you suffers in himself alone His anguish, not another's; but my spirit Groans for the city, for myself, for you" (Sophocles 5).    His pain is not his future; it is the plague of the country. Oedipus was told by Teiresias that in his later years he would be the killer of his own father, and would marry his own mother. In his attempt to avoid this situation, he left both of his parents and traveled to a far away city called Thebes. Once there he was married to a woman, that he, himself, was positive was not his mother, for his mother was the woman that he had left back in Corinth. Also, being so far from his known home, there was no chance that he could kill his father whom he had also left behind. Oedipus thought he was safe, but he was not.    Oedipus is not the only one that tries to escape the curse. Iocaste also tried to escape the curse. She knows about it before Oedipus, himsel... ...esume on his good fortune until he find pain Life, at his death, a memory without pain (Sophocles 78).       Work Cited Sophocles.   "Oedipus Rex."   An Introduction to Literature, 11th ed.Eds. Sylvan Barnet, et al.   New York: Longman, 1997.    1. You use a lot of appositives.   Appositives are devices that rename something, "Oedipus, himself" or "Laios, the king" or "highwayman, a stranger."   The second name should be set off by commas:   "Oedipus, himself." 2. The character of Teiresias should be discussed in your conclusion since he embodies the truth about the absolute finality of fate, which is exactly what the other three characters failed to see. 3. Your paper should be organized so that each point, or each character is discussed in a separate paragraph and you stick to that character until you have fully discussed him or her.   

A Different Foreigner :: essays research papers fc

A Different Foreigner   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We have talked about the typical foreigner: Someone living in a country other than their own, having a different culture and different beliefs than everyone else around them. But can one be a foreigner in their own country, their own city, or their own town? If one has different beliefs than those of his/her friends and/or family, can we call that person a ‘foreigner’ if they are going through the same things that Julia Kristeva describes in her book? In today’s culture, the same aspects that apply to foreigners, such as loneliness, separation, and the need to fit in, apply to many teenagers, whether they grow up in a town they have lived in all their lives, or if they move to a foreign place.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Strangers to Ourselves, Kristeva writes, â€Å"Who is a foreigner? The one who does not belong to the group, who is not â€Å"one of them,† the other† (Kristeva, 95). If I were to discuss beliefs with my parents, such a s political or moral beliefs, and agreed with everything my parents said, what happens when all of my friends at school believe in completely different things? To them, my beliefs would be very different, almost foreign. To them, I would be the other.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If, over time, I were to change my beliefs to mirror the beliefs of my friends, one day I would come home and realize how different I was from my family. My beliefs would be the opposite of theirs. Like many foreigners living in a country different than the one they were born in, going home would not be the same as it was when I was still the same as my family. If a typical teenager goes through the same scenario that I have described above, how different is it if a teenager becomes a foreign exchange student. One immediately thinks of the obvious†¦the teenager is, of course, in a foreign country, away from home. But, that particular teen is still trying to fit in, and is growing in ways that are changing the person that he/she used to be.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the transition from believing what my family believes to what my friends believe in, there would be a time in which I would fit in neither world. My views would have changed enough for me to be different from my parents, but not enough for me to be the same as my friends.

Sales Report Hema

TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION3 COMPANY ANALYSIS (external + internal + SWOT)4 INTERNAL & EXTERNAL ANALYSIS4 HISTORY OF THE COMPANY4 HEMA’S STRUCTURE4 VISION OF THE COMPANY4 MISSION STATEMENT5 TARGET GROUP5 HEMA’S STRATEGY & POSITIONING6 FINANCIAL POSITION & COMPETITION7 PRODUCT-MARKET COMBINATION8 MARKETING MIX8 TRENDS IN RETAIL9 SWOT ANALYSIS10 STRENGHTHS:10 OPPORTUNITIES:11 THREATS:12 MARKET RESEARCH13 THE 7C’S OF EFFECTIVE WEBSITE DESIGN13 QUALITATIVE RESEARCH15 SALES PROPOSAL17 Executive Summary17 Our understanding17 YOUR COMPANY17 YOUR NEEDS17 DESCISION CRITERIA18Our Solution19 FOOD SECTION CLEANLINESS IMPROVEMENT19 PRODUCT RESTOCKING19 Conclusion19 COST AND BENEFIT ANALYSIS20 REFERENCES23 MYSTERY SHOP REPORTS24 NATALIA ROJAS24 VICTORIA TORRES24 MAIKE BOUWER24 ANNA ZAJAC25 CELIA BAUMGARTNER26 ANOUK VAN NULAND26 INTRODUCTION In September 1926, the dream of  two Jewish entrepreneurs  Arthur Isaac and Leo Meyer  opened their first store on the Kalverstra at. The company became a part of the Maxeda group, which renamed from Vendex KBB. It owns Bijenkorf, Hunkemoller, V&D, Praxis, Plan-it and Brico, Dixons and many other stores.In 2007 Maxeda sold HEMA to a British company called Lion Capital LPP. The company primarily focuses on leveraged buyout  investments in Europe. HEMA has expanded into other European countries, with stores in  the  Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and France. In this report we made a sales analysis of the Hollandsche Eenheidsprijzen Maatschappij Amsterdam, HEMA. HEMA is a Dutch discount retail chain that is characterized by relative low pricing of standard housewares, which are mostly made by the chain itself in beautiful and innovative designs.HEMA offers a very wide variety of products, from books and housewares to food. HEMA is located all around the Netherlands, with in total 445 branches and thousands of employees by March 2011. We analyzed HEMA from different standpoints; we analyzed the ho usewares product section and also the food section. We visited in total 12 different stores all in different locations of the Netherlands from Amsterdam to Maastricht and we did qualitative research by analyzing the company’s external and internal environment. The goal of this report was to find out what HEMA can do to improve sales.COMPANY ANALYSIS (external + internal + SWOT) * INTERNAL & EXTERNAL ANALYSIS HISTORY OF THE COMPANY HEMA is a company with long tradition. The first store was opened on Kalverstraat on 4th of November 1926. Two Jewish entrepreneurs, Arthur Isaac and Leo Mever who have witnessed the hardest economic crisis of that century, conceived the idea. They have seen a lot of people struggling and having difficulties to make ends meet so their concept was to create a shop with different household items of affordable price but still maintaining a high quality.Thanks to Alfred Goudsmit, the director of Amsterdam-based Bijenkorf, this dream became reality and H ollandsche Eenheidsprijzen Maatschappij Amsterdam (known better as HEMA) was set up. The formula was so successful that recently new stores were opened in Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and France. Additionally, in 2007, HEMA was sold to a British company called Lion Capital LPP. * HEMA’S STRUCTURE HEMA’s structure has changed over the years, as two different groups have owned it, and each one of them had a different way of handling their operations.The Dutch company identifies itself as an adapter, because wherever they open a new store they try to fit into the new environment and implement products that are applicable for the target audience they are pursuing. Additionally, the CEO  and shareholders play an important role in all forms of decision making for the company’s processes and changes, being constantly informed of any new ventures being pursued. * VISION OF THE COMPANY HEMA has clearly stated that what drives them toward attaining goals is the need to adapt to what consumers really want, in this constantly changing environment. We are driven by our business goals in everything we do. Consumers’ needs are changing and we continually adapt to those needs†. Over the time HEMA has been developing its brands, and now have more products than what they had when they opened their very first store. MISSION STATEMENT According to official website, HEMA’s mission statement consists of the following: â€Å"The HEMA style can be summarized in two words: ‘exceptional simplicity’, by which we mean that our products are both simple and exceptional. Long before the term ‘home brand’ was invented, we were creating and manufacturing our own products†.This concept should be applied not only to products they offer but also to services. HEMA’s mission is to turn day-to-day products into something exceptional and yet affordable. Another aspect is to recognize the continuously changing customer s’ need and satisfy them. TARGET GROUP Originally, HEMA's market segment was mainly the middle-low class with its consequent medium range income. However, over the years HEMA has attracted more individuals with a higher income, due to the guaranteed quality their products offer at a very affordable price.HEMA states that its target group are men and women of all ages and socio-economic classes as everyone can find there something for himself. However, different surveys have shown that the majority of the audience  is mainly  between the ages of 14-32, identifying young  parents,  and students as part of this segment. Lately we can note HEMA’s tendency to focus more and more on younger customers by different promotion techniques and actions. For example, they recently made a contest for students that were studying any form of design, inviting them to create a new HEMA product with their own fresh ideas.In this digital age, all companies must be aware that if the y truly want to succeed they must reach their target group through up-to-date methods. Therefore, HEMA reaches most of its customers through TV commercials, Internet, magazines and even direct mail. The most important of these, in this modern time and age, has to be its main website, which not only allows customers to shop online but also provides all the information necessary on current promotions and activities. HEMA’S STRATEGY ; POSITIONING As said above, HEMA’s aim is to make people’s life a little more convenient, independently of where they live.That is why the company is planning on expanding across Europe and probably also further. HEMA’s executives believe that the formula they offer is a good product and could go global. The company’s strategy is to captivate new trends and adapt to customers. To be so successful it is essential to have motivated and dedicated staff. To achieve it the relationship of trust and commitment must be created. That is why all decisions, which are being made, are based on belief that all employees are entitled to respect for dignity, individuality and diversity.The positioning of HEMA is based on the distinctiveness of its designs, which are done in-house by HEMA designers, and all the products at HEMA are HEMA branded (in most cases), which makes it stand out in the market by being immediately recognizable to customers. The competent price is another factor HEMA sells as a positioning point, although competition has made its low prices seem relative in comparison to all the other options now offered at the same price range or at even lower prices. HEMA often underlines its will to act with social responsibility.Thus, also the way of producing and delivering goods to customers is of high importance. The corporation uses a â€Å"naturally HEMA’’ approach to protect the environment. Whenever it is time to change the uniforms of their employees, they recycle and use them for so mething else, instead of throwing them into the garbage can. Moreover, in each one of their stores they practice a recycle culture and waste collection programs. FINANCIAL POSITION ; COMPETITION HEMA has been one of the most favourite Dutch stores in the Netherlands, and gradually is gaining hearts of other markets abroad.In the Dutch market, HEMA has 445 stores, in Belgium 62, Germany 8, Luxembourg 3 and France 7. In total HEMA has 10,000 employees, of which 80% are women and the remaining 20% are men. Currently the company is participating in a project called â€Å"return to sender†. However, it does not seek to make a profit by selling these products; it rather strives to support fair trade in third-world countries making sure that profits return to the manufacturers by means of development projects and education in the regions of origin.Hema achieved quite good results in the year 2011 especially if we take into consideration the challenging conditions. It had to face dec lining non-food retail spending, increasing competition, higher raw material prices as well as declining consumer confidence. Compared to 2010 (loss of 18. 3 â‚ ¬mln), net sales increased by 3%, and so did the net profit rising with â‚ ¬11 mln, mainly because of lower financing costs. According to the statements released by HEMA, the share in all categories improved. The company continues on investing, in 2011 spending â‚ ¬57 mln (amount comparable to 2010).However, the profit margin suffered (0. 5% lower in comparison to 2010) due to increase in price of oil, coffee and cotton. Total capital after the acquisition by Lion Capital is estimated on â‚ ¬1. 4 billion, of which 35. 4% is financed by shareholders. As far as competitors go, HEMA has found its largest competition against Jumbo Groep Holding B. V and Koninklijke Ahold B. V. , which comprises itself of Albert Heijn, Etos, and Gall ; Ga. , among others. Additionally, other competitors in retail include Kruidvat, D;A , and Zeeman. PRODUCT-MARKET COMBINATIONHereby is sum up of the best and the worst of HEMA's products, according to each box/category of the matrix: STARS-â€Å"Le Lapin† tea kettle| QUESTION MARKS-HEMA Beauty| CASH COWS-Sausage (worst)| DOGS-| MARKETING MIX Price Based on an overview of the online website, www. hema. nl, the price of products ranges from as little as . 50 to as much as 250 euros, specifically for the bicycles. However, most products range under the 20 euros or less mark, especially when it comes to its office supplies, cosmetics, beauty products, and foods & beverages.They also use many discounted product prices to boost sales. Product The products offered at HEMA are of a great and wide variety, and are divided into clothing, accessories, cosmetics, skincare products, office/school supplies, domestic appliances, home items, textiles (curtains, duvets, etc. ), food & beverages, and finally, its photo printing service, exclusive to only some HEMA stores. Acco rding to the principles of its product mix, the products themselves are not necessarily all consistent with each other, as their diversity is large.The depth of some of the products is also not as varied, though HEMA tries to have in most cases at least two different variations, mostly in price range/quality or color presentation, of the same product. Promotion HEMA is avid in its promotion of products, especially those that are discounted from week to week and new to the store. They use, as mentioned above, TV advertisements, billboards, employ the use of social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Google+ and Pinterest, and as well as Internet advertising through their online website. Place HEMA products are sold at HEMA stores and online at www. hema. nl.There are several variations of a HEMA store, ranging from very large warehouse style to small outlets in train stations and airports. Also, specialized stores are popping up recently, such as HEMA Foto’s, HEMA Beauty , and a HEMA with only its ready-made food, in a similar â€Å"to go† style as its competitor Albert Heijn. The products are sold directly, passing on from HEMA's own suppliers in Hong Kong and Shanghai to the stores for selling. TRENDS IN RETAIL For 2012, several trends were present in the retail business in general. Firstly, the investment in mobile applications and services has increased enormously over the past year.Customers are now able to find store locations, prices, customer reviews and eventually order said products all through their mobile phone. With the continued modernity of cellphones, it is no doubt this trend will keep on climbing and showing its importance in the retail business. Another trend this year has been the stagnant sales due to the low economy in recent times. Customers are spending more on necessary products rather than retail, and it is of great importance for retail companies to find a way to demonstrate the added value and worthiness of the pro duct they are selling, as well as placing it in a competitive price range.Additionally, globalization has taken over the world and influenced greatly on retail. More and more retail companies are encouraged to expand themselves abroad, giving them the competitive edge they need to succeed. Lastly, another trend related retail is that economic times and high prices are forcing stores to become more compact, which has actually been well received by customers, who do not wish to wander in a thousand square meters to get the one product they need. SWOT ANALYSIS * STRENGHTHS: Dutch citizens have been acquainted with HEMA since 1926, which means that a large quantity of the population is attached to their brand. They have one of the most important  advantages that a company can have: loyal customers. * HEMA can be proud of its customer-oriented and committed staff, people who do their best every day achieving at the same time high customer satisfaction. * Contrarily to majority of retai lers, HEMA sells its own original brand. The company has its own design department, where highly educated employees come up with new ideas and improved products.What is more, HEMA involves its customers, among them, young talented design students who are given chance to participate in new-product creation. * Own laboratory where all the products are being strictly tested before arriving on store shelves. * Highly creative marketing team often coming up with interesting actions and promotions attracting new customers and retaining the old ones. * Good advertising and multi channel communication with customers. HEMA broadcasts its own TV commercials, distributes leaflets, sends e-mails, newsletters and of course has a well organized website where web shopping is available 24h/24. Ability to track new tendencies and adapt them in a short period; introduction of innovative fashion or an incorporation of a cafe/restaurant into stores is one of many examples. * HEMA takes into considerati on the environment during production and logistics processes. It strives to reduce amount of energy used for transportation as well as production, limits packaging to minimum, takes care of material used and the possibility of their recycling. * Offers a great diversity of household products at quite affordable prices. * Great attention toward a customer and putting his satisfaction first.Thus, each customer that is not satisfied with service provided can claim for refund. * HEMA stores expand with a high rapidity, even monthly. * Demonstrated support for various initiatives such as FAIR TRADE, Return to Sender etc. WEAKNESSES: – Although HEMA claims to produce its products in an ecofriendly manner, still a considerable number of products are made of hardly recyclable material. This aspect should be reviewed by HEMA departments and new solutions should be implemented and comply fully to company’s mission of social responsibility. Based on the market research made, HEMA product quality is not the highest in most cases, especially if comparing it to other products with the same price tag. – HEMA is currently in the process of suffering from the so-called â€Å"commodity trap†, in which its fellow competitors are selling the same comparable products HEMA does, at lower prices. – In reference to our surveys, the cleanliness and neatness of the HEMA stores can be improved upon, as well as a better control of restocking products that are being sold. HEMA’s great range of products, though a great strength, is also a great weakness, as the management of all these products can become overpowering, and the previously mentioned quality and cleanliness control become more difficult to handle. * OPPORTUNITIES: – Its current owner, the London-based private equity firm Lion Capital, has been trying to sell the company since 2011, but there are still plans to, in a year or so, retry its selling proposal. The main stakeholder in this would be Royal Ahold NV, who currently is the owner of the biggest chain of supermarkets in the Netherlands, Albert Heijn, amongst other investments.Pairing up AH and HEMA to sell their products together could prove itself as an incredibly profitable business synergy of brands. -As mentioned before in the retail trends, HEMA could take advantage of the recent mobile phone apps boost, and include an app version of their online store for mobile users to buy the products directly on the go. They already offer their HEMA Photos services online, but could work more on this growing trend to improve sales. -Even though HEMA has a claim on the Corporate Social Responsibility as a company, they could move even further with their actions by actively timulating sustainability amongst their suppliers. Not only does this actively pursue good, it provides a new selling point for customers who believe in sustainability as an added value to a product purchase. Sustainability in companies itse lf is a growing trend, considering all the education new generations have had over global warming and the threat of the carbon footprint. * THREATS: – With the recent economic crisis in 2012 with the European Union and the budget cuts, retailers in general in the Netherlands, with HEMA included, are suffering from these cuts.The Dutch government will boost the highest value added on consumer goods to 21% from 19% before the austerity measures were in place. This will affect most businesses who handle goods that are not foods or beverages, and even though HEMA does have a part of its business focused on that, it is mostly a mixed retailer. – Dutch consumer confidence has hit an all-time low since 2003, notably dropping 1. 3% in February 2012. – Due once again to the austerity, Dutch households are facing stagnant salaries with higher retail prices, which means the consumer spending will be reduced. As mentioned before in the opportunities, its current owner, Lion Capital, has been trying to sell the company since 2011 but has so far been unsuccessful to reach its desired 1. 5 billion euro asking price. There are still plans to, in a year or so, retry its selling proposal, which would provide instability within HEMA due to the change of ownership. Of course, it can not be determined whether this change will be beneficial or not, but it most certainly would be an adjustment to the company, and sales might suffer from it. MARKET RESEARCHThis section consists of an extensive and thorough market research analysis of HEMA, a multinational retail chain that caters several products in different areas of Europe. The report begins an explanation of its target group. Consequently, there is an analysis of the 7 C’s of web, and a final conclusion is provided. The overall objective is to obtain a full understanding on the views, and behaviors from HEMA’S customers, and how these influence within their purchasing decisions. TARGET GROUP Orig inally, HEMA's market segment was mainly the middle-low class with its consequent medium range income.However, over the years HEMA has attracted more individuals with a higher income, due to the guaranteed quality their products offer at a very affordable price. The audience  is mainly  between the ages of 14-32, identifying young  parents,  and students as part of this segment. HEMA is focusing more and more on younger customers by different promotion techniques and actions. For example, they recently made a contest for students that were studying any form of design, inviting them to create a new HEMA product with their own fresh ideas.Moreover, they are also reaching youngsters through their parents, personalizing their own product is a key advantage to them. In this digital age all companies must be aware that if they truly want to succeed they must reach their target group through up-to-date methods. Therefore, HEMA reaches most of its customers through TV commercials, I nternet, magazines and even direct mail. The most important of these, in this modern time and age, has to be its main website, which not only allows customers to shop online but also provides all the information necessary on current promotions and activities being organized. THE 7C’S OF EFFECTIVE WEBSITE DESIGN In order to look into the 7 C’ S, a required observation of HEMA's main website (http://www. hema. nl) was necessary to regard how each one the forms of effective design were implemented. Context- The site's layout and design is dynamic, very colorful and appealing to the senses, making it an effective tool for marketing. Content- Varied is the most proper way to describe their content. Community- HEMA allows customers to interact with each other by participating in contests, activities and promotions, as well as allowing them to voice their suggestions and complaints.Customization-Since customers can subscribe themselves and create themselves an account, it is possible to have their own customized web page, because the web site will display their most recent purchases and tailor itself automatically each single time. Communication-Their web page uses a two-way communication Connection-The site is linked to other web pages, such as YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. This enables the user to check HEMA’s account in these 3 web sites and to show their most recent acquisitions by uploading pictures of the items. It creates a special bond between the customer and the corporate.Commerce- When there is a purchase of items, the options on payment are several, and allowing the customer to decide what is his or her best option. In acknowledgement of the before stated reasons, HEMA does make a full use of the 7 c's. QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH SURVEY ANALYSIS The questionnaire will probe the following 9 questions: 1-Do you ever shop at HEMA? 2-If yes, how often? 3-Do you like HEMA, neither like it nor dislike it, or dislike it? 4-How clean are HEMA sto res? 5-Compared to its competitors are HEMA’S prices more reasonable, less reasonable or about the same. -In terms of quality, how good are HEMA’S products 7-Description of HEMA in 3 words 8-On a scale from 1-10, which overall grade would you give HEMA 9-In a maximum of 3 words, please tell us on what you would like HEMA to improve After a survey collection and thorough analysis took place, the results were the following: 1-Do you ever shop at HEMA? 95. 2% of the people interviewed admitted to have ever shopped at HEMA. 4. 8% had never shopped at HEMA before. 2-If yes, how often? From the 95. 2% whom claimed to have ever shopped at HEMA, had 94. % purchase goods at the store once a week, the remaining 5. 6% went to the store at least 3 times a week. 3-Do you like HEMA, neutral, or dislike it? 19% of the interviewees likes HEMA a great deal, 47. 6% like it a moderate amount, 14. 3% like it a little, 19% are neutral 4-How clean are HEMA stores? 19% believe the stores are clean, 61. 9% say they are moderately clean, 14. 3% state that it is slightly clean, and 4. 8% think it is not clean at all. 5-Compared to its competitors are HEMA’S prices more reasonable, less reasonable or about the same? 47. 6% believes the prices are reasonable, and a 52. % that they are less reasonable than the ones of the competitors. 6-In terms of quality, how good are HEMA’S products *90. 5% said the product quality was good, a 9. 5% said they were awful. * QUALITATIVE RESEARCH For the qualitative research, we went on a field trip to several HEMA’s to get a few in depth interviews with their customers. At the quantitative research, we mostly ask fixed answer questions to get structured answers and get clear statistics from it. The qualitative is quite the contrary, we ask open question thus not trying to persuade the customers by giving them several options as answers.We asked the following questions that are relative to the marketing research: 1. What are your experiences when shopping at HEMA? The majority of the interviewees were more than positive about their experiences. Not one had a negative experience at one of the HEMA’s. One claimed that they even have everything in the little HEMA’s in the small villages outside of the big city: â€Å"It is unbelievable (and quite scary) how accurate they know us, costumer! † Another costumer: â€Å"The employees are always friendly and helpful, even though they cannot satisfy our needs as costumers. † 2.How would you describe the quality of the products? Here again, the majority is very satisfied about the quality of the products. â€Å"The price/quality ratio is fairly good. I know what to expect from the products. Let’s take a their china for example, I know their bowls won’t last a lifetime. If I want bowls that last a lifetime I will shop at Georg Jensen. This way I can change my china more often and get a fresh new look in the kitchen. à ¢â‚¬  All the interviewees were satisfied with the products bought, though most of them take inconsideration that the products are not the best on the market. 3.What is your opinion about the tidy/cleanness of the stores? Positive feedback: â€Å"The stores look clean†, â€Å"Well organized†, â€Å"Good structure of the placement of the products† Negative feedback: â€Å"Too many products cramped into too little space†, â€Å"Quite mess at the sales shelves†, â€Å"The floors are dusty, though this problem appears in most shops†. The opinions on this question are fairly divided. The bigger shops seemed to have more negative feedback, due to its large variety of products. The overview was lost and the employers were having troubles keeping the shelves organized and the store clean.Response Summary Criteria-8 people were individually interviewed for more in-depth findings, and 40 answered a survey. SALES PROPOSAL * Executive Summary For HEMA a Dutch discount retail chain, which is characterized by relative low pricing products mainly made by the company itself, the customer’s opinion and view about the company is the most important. Time by time, the company has been including new products and ideas to the company trying to make it more attractive to buyers, and then is when the food section came to HEMA becoming its pride with products such as â€Å"rook worst’, Tompouces and pies.However, after having done some research in different locations of HEMA, we found out that even though customers like the food of HEMA, most of them think that the cleanliness of the food section is not positive. Another fact is that since HEMA is characterized by having all kind of self developed articles concentrated on daily necessities, people like to go there whenever they need something especially â€Å"urgent†. According to our research, it happens often that products are not being restocked frequently. This leave s the client with a sense of emptiness after having travelled the whole store in search of that needed product. Our understanding YOUR COMPANY HEMA is a company that makes life fun and easy in an inexpensive way. In HEMA you will find the remarkable combination of â€Å"only the best items for everyday life, with its own especial design, for surprisingly low prices† and with a staff that is always ready to help you with pride, commitment and with love for their company. YOUR NEEDS HEMA is a store where customers go mostly when they need to find something in particular, for example house ware products, school accessories or to have the 1euro breakfast. Customer who go to HEMA, mostly know what they are looking for and what they can find at HEMA.Therefore, HEMA needs to be always prepared to receive these customers, by knowing and having in advance what they are looking for. HEMA needs to create an especial importance to restocking of products. Since most HEMA’s is a lar ge store, where you mostly spend more time than in a particular store, clients do not like to go there, looking for something they know HEMA provides and not finding it because of restocking issues. Makeup, stationery, and house ware tools are some of the sections that have to be always filled. HEMA has a rather small food section, however it is famous for the good taste and low price of their products.The 1euro breakfast, the famous worst and the pastry attract fixed buyers day by day to the store. However, after our research we found out that clients were not especially happy with the cleanliness of this section. Most of the time workers who receive money are the same ones that fixed or deliver the food, this without changing or wearing hand gloves. There must be in HEMA a clear differentiation between the person who is handling the cash and that who is touching the food. In the case that this is the same person there should be a imminent use of hand gloves for each of those actio ns. Prioritized list of needs: More frequently restocking of HEMA products. * Improvement of cleanliness in the food section. DESCISION CRITERIA Key Decision Criteria| Importance(High, Med, Low)| 1. Product Restocking| Med| 2. Food Section Cleanliness Improvement| High | * Our Solution FOOD SECTION CLEANLINESS IMPROVEMENT * For the food section the solution is the implementation of gloves for all employees; enough gloves to be changed after a certain amount of time. Another solution is the distinction of the person working at the register and the person handling and preparing the food. There should not be one person who can use cash and prepare food at the same time.If necessary and for the variation there could be shifts so the employees can also perform different activities, however for one employee the shift should not chance more than once daily. Example: Natalia receives payments from 9 to 12 and then from 12 to 5 she prepares food. PRODUCT RESTOCKING * For the restocking probl em, there could be more frequently revisions of the products that need to be restocked, maybe once a week. Then the making of a product criterion should be made, recognizing which products are the most sold and therefore have to be always available.After the identification of those products, there should be made an agreement that within certain time (for example 2 weeks) those products will be delivered to the store, regardless of the already in store stock of that product. * Conclusion Our group chose HEMA as company for the importance of the store to the Dutch market. HEMA is a story with many years of experience and long trajectory in the market where customers go to purchase good quality products, with personal and innovative designs all for average low prices. Even though we did not find almost any negative points of the company and we were very leased with many aspects of HEMA such as the employees treatment towards customers or the large scale of products they offer, we all a greed on the fact that there are many times that the desired product by the customer is not in stock or the low use of gloves and cleanliness when attending the food section. These two are aspects that are rather easy to improve and that could increase the customers experience and loyalty for HEMA, of course also growing sales of new and fixed clients. COST AND BENEFIT ANALYSIS Last year HEMA obtain great results in an downsizing economie.It has maintained their position within the retail industry by winning the ‘best retail yearprice by ING’ again! Ronald Putting, CEO: â€Å"I am very proud that I can tell you that we, despite a tough economic year, have been continuing our strong line of growth. During the past year HEMA celebrated its 85th anniversary! Thus we have the recent openings of Gare du Nord and Gare Saint Lazare and next to those we already have several successful stores in France. HEMA has grown into an international retail company that continues to grow, with a strong brand that is appreciated by our customers both at home and abroad.This appreciation was once more when the consumer Netherlands HEMA in 2011 chose to best store. In 2011, market conditions were challenging and are expected to deepen the crisis in 2012. Consumers will have more need of a shop where they can rely and which also continues to surprise. A shop where the staff is ready to help consumers with special designed products of good quality and for a low price. So every day we try to make the daily lives of our customers a little bit more fun and easier. † A few figures of the year 2011 – Consumer sales went up to EUR 1. 02 million – Net sales increased just as in 2010 by more than 3% to EUR 1,150 million – The market share of HEMA in all categories improved – The operating result (EBITDA) remained virtually unchanged (euro 155 million) – 47 new stores were opened: 33 in the Netherlands, 8 in Belgium, 2 in Germany and 4 in France. Improvements that can be made In our sales proposal you can read that the most important thing we think that HEMA can improve are: 1. Product restocking 2. Food section cleanliness improvement Lets start of with the product restocking.To sum up the stocks in the store are not at neat as it should be. Some products are placed in the middle of the corridor, which gives a messy appearance of the whole store. In our opinion the manager who is responsible for the product division and visual standards should be educated about this particular subject. HEMA could decide to give those managers some extra training. For improvement of the HEMA food section employees can be trained by a dutch company called HACCP Direct. This will cost HEMA â‚ ¬69,- per store and they will receive a HACCP certificate that is needed to sell food in Holland.Because HEMA is already licenced to sell food the certificates are not necessary to obtain again. But we do think that some extra training is neede d and can be obtained by following an online course. This course will obtain the following subjects: 1. The importance of hygiene and the HACCP method 2. Personal hygiene 3. Cleaning, waste and vermin 4. Temperature Control 5. Furnishing of business premises 6. Purchasing, Storage and shelf life 7. (For) preparing, presenting and serving After these two points of improvement we believe that HEMA is right where they want to be, HEMA wants to be number one.The best in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, France and beyond. HEMA believes that the traditional Dutch success formula of special simplicity with everyone. Anywhere in the world: from city to countryside, from Amsterdam to Tokyo. ING Retail Year price HEMA was chosen by the public overall winner and may have a year long Retailer of the Netherlands'. With an average score of 7. 50 won HEMA in October 2011 even though the audience in the category Baby & Children. HEMA scored during the first round of the high aspect Va lue (7. 92) and Price level (7. 83).During the second round of voting – where the public could vote only on the 26 category winners – HEMA earned fifteen percent of the total number to earn points. HEMA won this award in 2003 and in 2008. In 2005 won the Jury HEMA Price Retail. Special HEMA Beauty shops HEMA opens two beauty shops named HEMA Beauty. HEMA Beauty has been opened the 12th of October 2012 in Amsterdam's Kalverstraat and the day after the opening of the HEMA beauty store in the Barteljorisstraat in Haarlem took place. Now HEMA customers can come in for all their makeup, skincare, inspiration and personal advice. REFERENCES ttp://www. hema. nl/hema/over-hema. aspx http://www. hema. nl/SiteCollectionDocuments/HEMA_corporate_EN. pdf http://www. hema. nl/SiteCollectionDocuments/HEMA_corporate_EN. pdf http://www. hema. nl/hema/about-hema. aspx http://www. hema. nl/SiteCollectionDocuments/HEMA_corporate_EN. pdf http://www. returntosender. nl/en/about/partners htt p://www. hema. nl/hema/voor-de-pers/persberichten. aspx http://www. retail-business-review. com/companies/hema-b http://www. sas. com/news/sascom/2012q1/industry_spotlight. html http://berenschotstrategies. wordpress. com/2011/04/06/hema-in-de-commodity-tra/ ttp://www. marketwatch. com/story/dutch-retailer-hema-no-longer-on-block-sources-2011-06-22 http://edepot. wur. nl/167998 http://www. bloomberg. com/news/2012-05-08/dutch-retailers-face-profit-blow-as-taxes-chill-spending. html http://www. hema. nl/hema/over-hema. aspx http://www. psbydila. com/hema-beauty http://www. haccpdirect. nl/haccp-cursus/ http://perssupport. nl/apssite/persberichten/full/2012/03/27/HEMA+rapporteert+positieve+resultaten+2011 * MYSTERY SHOP REPORTS NATALIA ROJAS Maastricht and Leiden Comparing the two HEMA stores that I visited, I came to different conclusions.First it was appealing to me that both stores were clean and were being cleaned at the moment, so in both cases was the cleaning good. In the food counter in Leiden, even though I bought a closed product, which is a bottle, I did not see any of the employees wearing gloves at any moment, at Maastricht I passes by the food counter as well in the breakfast hour, but I did not see anybody with gloves either. That means in both Leiden and Maastricht the employees were not clean enough in terms of food. In Leiden I was looking for a whiteboard, I asked a girl if they had it, and she said that not in the moment.She knew about what I was talking about so she was acquainted with the store products which is good. the product I was looking for was not there but they had a similar option. In Maastricht I bought a blanket and in the casa I asked the girl if she knew if the blanket was good enough for the Winter to which she responded good enough saying that it has a level 3 which means that it is pretty good for pretty much all seasons, so I was satisfied with my blanket. In Maastricht though the girl in the casa was trying to get rid of people fast because it was pretty much a rush hour and there were a lot of people on the line.However I was satisfied with the product information and personal service at both locations. In conclusion I would say that HEMA employees are well trained and know enough about the products and the store, even though all the products that I needed were not there that is something that can happen everywhere. However probably the cleaning in the food section should be improved at all times and everywhere. VICTORIA TORRES Kalverstraat and hemareguliersbreestraat After analyzing patterns from one HEMA to another, we conclude that; hygiene should become more of a priority.Both locations shared the same pitfall, which was not wearing gloves when in contact with food nor when touching money from the customer. However, employees are well trained and able to answer questions about their product line, for instance the materials used to fabricate such product or its’ origin. Moreover, the answ ers were quite well formulated in acceptable English, bearing in mind that this is not their mother tongue. In a nutshell, the personnel are competent enough, yet sanitization is not as efficient as it should be. MAIKE BOUWER Vleuten and Utrecht Vleuten is a small town right outside Utrecht.Only recently it has opened a HEMA store where the basics are being sold. There were two employees working in the store when I entered. The first one greeted me right when I entered the store. The second employee was busy filling the shelves but still managed to say good morning when I passed by. Both staff members were wearing a HEMA shirt with black pants. The first employee helped me find the duvet covers, knew exactly where they were placed and which one I needed. Though observing the first employee helping another customer at the ‘food section’ she did not wash her hands, neither was the use of cloves involved.Overall the HEMA in Vleuten is a neat store where everything is in pl ace and the employees are friendly. They know the store very well, reasoning that the store is fairly small and has fewer products than the big stores in large cities. The food section, which one hardly can call a section, was not very hygienic. HEMA could improve their hygienic matters by using cloves or wash their hands before touching the food products. Though the employee used a tang to take the sausage and did not get in contact with the sausage self. In general, the small HEMA in Vleuten is a well-organized store with well-trained staff.In comparison with the HEMA in Vleuten, the HEMA in Utrecht is huge. The store is two stories high and is very elaborated. While walking around for a while through the shelves, none of the employee bothered to greet me. Even though I had not received a good morning, the employees looked neat and were all wearing the same outfit. The food section in Utrecht is quite large though the hygiene is not well thought through. No cloves were used when I ordered my sandwich. Wondering if it was a coincidence, I stayed around the food section to observe the others ordering their food.None of the employees washed their hands in my time of observing. The other sections of the store were clean and organized however the food section is certainly a weakness. They could improve by wearing cloves and changing them regularly. Another advice I would give HEMA is to introduce freshly prepared food instead of pre-rolling sandwiches. ANNA ZAJAC Amstelveen and Schiphol The HEMA stores I decided to visit are situated in two different places. One is Amstelveen, peaceful outskirts of Amsterdam and the other, International Airport – Schiphol. I was curious if there could be a difference in service delivered by the employees.As my report demonstrates, I have encountered a major interest, help and friendliness in the store situated in Amstelveen. In both situations the employees were kind and eager to help me. The first one helped me to find a model of a product I was searching for while the other prepared something that I probably should have done on my own. Both had no problem with speaking English with me and made me feel comfortable from the first moment. What is more, I was surprised by a discount I got at the checkout. The store overall was rather clean and kept in order. When it comes to the second store my impressions are a little less positive.The stuff was less cheerful and in some cases they could not answer my questions at all! The level of English was surprisingly lower than that of Amstelveen’s employees. It should be other way around considered that every day thousands of tourists pass through Schiphol Airport. Aspects I would like to seen improved are the employees’ awareness of the products they sell (FairTrade, for example), their readiness to deal with the customer and nicer attitude as well as better command of foreign language. There should be more pressure on keeping food fresh (it coul d be kept in special containers or coverages). CELIA BAUMGARTNERBijlmer Arena and Ferdinand Bolstraat The HEMA chain and concept is a wonderful idea that has spanned great success overtime. However, there are some points that could be worked on based on the day-to-day administration at their shops. The store has a very self-serviced mindset, but perhaps if they worked towards improving their availability to customers, they would be able to improve their sales even more. Also, training employees is of great importance, and it would be nice to see a consistency in the quality of employees working at HEMA, considering it is rather jarring to have good and bad experiences from the same brand store.Product placement is ideal, and we know HEMA is aware of this, as they go to great lengths to display products on â€Å"discount† (they simply happen to be that price the whole time, but they make the customer feel as though they are buying something less expensive). It would be greatly improved if they would work on becoming more neat in their display arrangement, and once again, have more staff on hand to do all the arrangements, the same way AH is always stock full any time of the day.Not only would the displays look more lively and inviting, but it would give HEMA a greater opportunity to sell if their products are actually there to purchase. ANOUK VAN NULAND Kinkerstraat and Nieuwendijk I have visited two stores one in the Oud-West area of Amsterdam and one in the city center. To start of when I entered the store there was nobody to great me. They were all busy with doing their own tasks and were focused on that and on talking with each other. Even tough that’s not what you expect when you come in to a store, in store like this it is fine by me.It just a feeling you get when you are in a store they are very friendly when you ask something and they enjoy their job. I think that’s the most important thing there is. Next to the atmosphere in the st ore there are some practical things I would like to point out. The division of the stores is not really practical. Some large articles do deserve a bit more place and in the middle of the walk there were lots of items on display which gives the stores a messy appearance. The foodarea of the HEMA in the Kinkerstraat was a bit messy. Different kind of ingredients on the same work plate.Nevertheless the food tasted fresh and with good ingredients. The sales person was wearing plastic gloves when she picked up the food, but unfortunately she also received my money with that same hand. 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