Participative Leadership Strengths and Weaknesses

Leadership is defined as the ability of a person to influence other people to do things which they would not have done without the influence. People with this ability are referred to as leaders and can be found in different settings and contexts. In organizational setting, leaders are responsible for planning, coordinating and controlling organizational functions and activities towards attaining organizational goals and objectives.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Participative Leadership: Strengths and Weaknesses specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More My leadership style is participative leadership. With this style, all members of the team are involved in identifying essential goals and strategies for attaining those goals. The leader facilitates the attainment of the set goals and objectives (Bolden, Hawkins Gosling, 2011). Strengths One strength of the style is that it leads to teamwork because the leader encourages the active participation of all team members in the achievement of the set goals and objectives. It also leads to enhanced employee performance as well as productive work environment. Through the style, employees’ morale, capacity and relations are greatly improved. The style leads to innovativeness because employees use their talents and skills to their fullest. Employees are also free to express their creativity since they are encouraged to participate in making decisions which affect their work. Weaknesses One weakness of the style is that if not properly managed, it can lead to job dissatisfaction because it gives the employees more say in decision making by allowing them to make decisions on matters affecting their work and decisions regarding how to discharge their duties. Such freedom can make the employees overwhelmed, leading to confusion and ambiguity due to lack of a central authority. If the style is not properly managed, it can lead to poor employee performance and increased turnover. The lack of a central authority for decision making may create confusion in the workplace leading to low performance and increased turnover. It can also lead to duplication of duties or even failure to perform some tasks due to ambiguity and confusion. Trait leadership has to do with leaders acting upon leadership traits which they were born with. The leadership style does not embrace the idea that leadership can be learned or acquired from experience but rather perceives leadership as a quality people are born with. Trait leadership style, therefore, leads to excellent results because the leaders have leadership qualities at birth and they are able to lead even without any formal training or education (Daft, 2008).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More One similarity between trait and participative leadership styles is that in both, the leaders have a grea t influence on their followers. The leaders are capable of directly inspiring the employees to become motivated and focused on realization of good results. Through the influence of the leaders, employees become agents of change in their organizations. In both styles, the leaders are capable of initiating, implementing and managing organizational change. Their ability to inspire the employees makes it easy for them to implement change with little or no resistance because the employees consider themselves as part and parcel of their organizations and for this reason; they always put the interest of their organizations before their personal interests. Both participative and trait oriented leaders have an exceptional ability to create and sustain a cohesive organizational culture. A cohesive organizational culture is one in which all members of an organization hold to similar beliefs and values which bring them together as an organization. In cohesive organizational culture, it does not matter the organizational structure but what matters is the commitment of each and every member of the organization to the organizational beliefs and values.  Just like participative style, trait leadership leads to establishment of teams which work together. These teams give themselves a social identity which bides them together. This social identity and bonding lead to cooperation among the team members in all aspects, which brings forth a multiplicity of ideas about how to undertake the tasks consequently leading to innovation in organizations. Lastly, the two styles lead to increased productivity because the employees are committed to the success of their organization and to them; motivation comes as a result of organizational success, not individual success. Every employee, therefore, brings his or her ideas in the organization. These ideas are combined and transformed into new ways of doing things in a more efficient and effective manner. The difference is that with partici pative leadership, the leader may not be highly knowledgeable but can use his or her skills to create a cohesive organizational culture. With trait leadership, the leader is knowledgeable and possesses high technical know-how, especially in research and development.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Participative Leadership: Strengths and Weaknesses specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The knowledge and technical know-how by the trait oriented leader when combined with other charismatic characteristics directly provokes employees’ thinking on how to improve the functions, processes and procedures of their organization, thus leading to innovation. With contingency leadership style, leaders adopt different leadership styles with different people and at different times. The nature of work done, level of skills of the team and the needs of the leader makes him or her adopt this style. With contingency leadership, t he leader links his or her effectiveness to the prevailing environment. Consequently, effective leaders need to adopt a leadership style depending on the situation and employees’ competency and commitment. The similarity with participative style is that both have the aspect of success based on teamwork. Employees in the two styles are also highly motivated because the leaders focus on creating a culture of self-motivation rather than supervision. The difference is that with contingency leadership style, the leader keeps on changing his or her style of leadership depending on the situation while with participative style; the leader does not change his or her style but always tries to involve employees in decision making at all times.  Blending together the different leadership styles can bring effective leadership. Blending trait leadership principles with participative leadership may enhance the team’s leadership capacities. Trait leadership principles, when blended with transformational, transactional and situational leadership styles, may improve the leaders’ social interaction abilities, capacity to initiate ideas, innovation and ability to listen to team members. Furthermore, the styles can be blended to create a highly motivated team that can contribute positively towards the achievement of organizational goals (Bolden, Hawkins Gosling, 2011).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Trait leadership, in particular, makes the participative leader have charisma which enables him or her to inspire the team members to realize good results. Contingency leadership style enables the participative leader to change his or her leadership style depending on the situation, thus becoming more efficient and effective. In some organizations, there may be several leaders, each with a different style of leadership. One major problem of different leadership styles in one organization is that they lead to conflict of ideas which may eventually develop into work-related conflicts. In an attempt to outwit each other or to gain influence in the workplace, leaders may engage in a witch hunt, sabotage and open hatred of their colleges (Wart Suino, 2012). Trait leadership style, in particular, has the potential of creating conflict of ideas in the workplace because trait oriented leaders may sometimes exhibit dictatorial traits which may create conflict due to the failure of trait ori ented leaders to consult other leaders or even the employees when making some important organizational decisions. The other problem which may be created as a result of various leadership styles in the workplace is lack of a sense of direction for an organization which occurs as a result of conflicting ideas on the best approach to manage and transact organizational business. The lack of direction may lead to stagnation of the organization. One way to overcome the problem of conflict of ideas is by having all leaders reach a consensus on the best leadership style for their organizations. This can be done by organizing seminars or conferences on leadership for all leaders or managers for the organizations. During such seminars, the leaders should be given the opportunity to express their views freely, ideas and opinions on what they think is the best leadership style for their organization depending on the organization’s mission and vision. They should also be given the opportu nity to openly criticize the ideas of each other in a constructive manner. Afterward, they should agree by majority the best approach of leadership. Eventually, a consensus can be attained because no leader would feel that his or her suggestions are not valued by the organization.  The problem can also be solved by having a clear chain of command in which every employee is answerable to a specific senior manager. By so doing, the several centers of power are eliminated. Having a clear chain of command also enhances consultations instead of competition and conflict.  The problem of lack of a sense of direction in an organization due to conflicting leadership styles can be solved by having a clear mission, vision and organizational goals and objectives. These should be backed by a very clear strategic plan outlining what is expected of every employee within a given time frame. Having a clear mission and vision makes all leaders and managers in organizations to understand what the organization wants to achieve and by what means. This can help reduce conflicting ideas because the strategic plan acts as a guide to the leaders on how to achieve the set goals and objectives. It can also be solved by having a technical team which is concerned with the sole responsibility of inventions and innovations. The technical team should collect the views of employees on the best way to discharge their duties and come up with fresh ideas on how to move the organization forward to avoid stagnation and lack of sense of direction. One potential advantage that may be created between the leadership styles is that of increased competitiveness for organizations. Each leadership style has a unique attribute for increased productivity. Combining various leadership styles can lead to enhanced job satisfaction among the employees since all the styles are focused on the employees’ welfare and improvement of the working environment. The combination of the styles can also make empl oyees and leaders develop and embrace a learning culture which makes the organization be in a position to improve on its areas of weakness, thus leading to increased productivity.  Trait leadership may inspire employees to become innovative because trait oriented leaders are not mechanistic in their leadership, but they understand the importance of allowing employees to micromanage their activities at the workplace to achieve the best results. When employees are given the permission to micromanage their work, they develop a positive attitude towards their work which makes them work hard to achieve the best. They are also able to change the rules governing their work and try new ways of doing things. Through this, they are able to discover new approaches to their work. If for example employees who work as marketing agents are allowed to micromanage their work, they can recommend new types of products which they think are the best for the customers.  Participative leadership may i nspire teamwork because it is all about making everybody in an organization participate in the process of moving the organization forward. The participation is not only about the performance of duties but also about making decisions which affect the work being performed. Since everybody is actively involved in organizational activities, the ‘big boss’ syndrome is eliminated thus creating a culture in which all members of an organization feel as part of a big team with a clear mission and vision to attain. Employees view each other as members of one family and for this reason; they do not hesitate sharing their thoughts, ideas, challenges and strengths with their fellow employees. If for example, an employee has a problem, he or she reveals it to the other employees who then come up with ideas and suggestions on how to solve the problem amicably. Similarly, if an employee has an idea on how to increase organizational efficiency, he or she is free to share with the others and put the idea into practice.  The contingency approach may inspire a change of leadership depending on the situation because the style is based on the philosophy that each organization is unique and therefore there is no a general approach to leadership. Due to this philosophy, leaders are able to change their tactics of leadership to suit the situation. They have to consider the nature of followers in terms of their education, cultural background as well as their social and economic status. For instance, the way a leader should lead uneducated followers is not the same way he or she should lead educated followers. In the case of uneducated followers, the leader may need to apply some degree of authoritarianism while in the case of educated followers; he or she may need to be democratic and diplomatic. The need to change the style is based on the belief that the end justifies the means, which means that the leader must find the best way of realizing good results at any given s ituation or context. When all these are combined, the end result is an organization with a conducive environment for innovation which is very crucial in increasing organizational competitiveness.  One can capitalize on the above advantages to increase productivity by capitalizing on the strengths of each leadership style. If employees are able to work without supervision, it means that they are motivated and have the interest of their organizations at heart. Under the trait leadership, employees are able to focus on the end result and come up with their own ways of meeting the set targets which ensures that employees are able to meet important deadlines in their lines of duty. If all organizational activities are undertaken in a timely manner, organizations are able to implement their projects with a high success rate which leads to increased productivity. At the same time, since employees like imitating the trait oriented leaders, they are ever focused on their role in their orga nization and this increases efficiency and effectiveness, which are essential for increased productivity.  The contingency approach enables leaders to be flexible in their leadership. As a result, the participative leader is able to treat each situation differently, thus leading to enhanced success of all the activities undertaken by the employees. The ability of a leader to be flexible in his or her leadership style means that the leader is result-oriented and not bound by procedures, rules or regulations, but he or she is free to change tact with the overall objective of realizing good results. Flexibility in leadership leads to increased efficiency and effectiveness, making the organization to increase its productivity. At the same time, leaders must find ways of dealing with the weaknesses of each leadership style. By so doing, an organization is able to have increased productivity due to increased employee motivation, innovativeness and good working environment as well as exc ellent employer-employee relationships. References Bolden, R., Hawkins, R., Gosling, J. (2011). Exploring Leadership: Individual, Organizational, and Societal Perspectives. Oxford: OUP Oxford. Daft, R.L. (2008). The leadership experience. Mason, OH: Thomson/South-Western. Wart, M.V., Suino, P. (2012). Leadership in public organizations: an introduction. Armonk, N.Y: M.E. Sharpe. This essay on Participative Leadership: Strengths and Weaknesses was written and submitted by user Dorothy R. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Education and Saudi females

Education and Saudi females Literature Review It is apparent that acquiring education has become more of a basic need than just a stage that one has to pass through while growing. The value of education can never be underestimated since it influences all aspects of a person’s life. Basic definitions of education need to be examined carefully so that this important element may be incorporated. According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, education is known to have a varying contextual meaning.Advertising We will write a custom thesis sample on Education and Saudi females specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Education can be described as â€Å"the action or process of educating or being educated; also: a stage of such a process† (Merriam Webster dictionary, 2011 p. 87). In order to be to make a sound discussion, education has been treated as a transformational process which equips people in life. This paper is a review of literature on education among Sa udi females. It is a comprehensive review which illustrates how education is viewed differently in various parts of the world. This has been done by examining Saudi females and the processes of acquiring and using education. Education affects all areas of life. It can be argued out to be a tool which equips people’s minds to face the real world (Sedgwick, 2001). It is quite easier for educated folk to face the reality of life than those who are not educated (Hamdan, 2005). Hence, knowledge and information empower people by making them more resourceful in their respective communities. Besides, information is more enriching than any other achievable treasure (Elliott, 2008). This literature review makes a concerted effort to explore all significant factors of education in Saudi Arabia. It expounds on the influence of backgrounds, current and future state of education in Saudi Arabia. It also elaborates several aspects which impact girls’ education in the region. It is wo rth mentioning that this paper examines the history to female education and the challenges that females encounter in their pursuit of education. Context of education in Saudi Arabia An examination of the history of females’ educational activities in the competitive system in Saudi Arabia is pivotal. It is an informative approach which explains the current status of the education system. Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932. The ministry of education in Saudi Arabia was established in 1952 (Wilson Graham, 1994). At this time, both males and females were allowed to study through one of the three options available. Males were offered general education or traditional Islamic education, while females were only offered general education (Sedgwick, 2001). In the general education stream, males and females were taught the same curriculum and sat for the same examinations. A mandate was given to this Saudi agency which had a role of ensuring social welfare for all citizens.Advertising Looking for thesis on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The ministry of education oversaw boys’ education (Wilson Graham, 1994). The placing of girl education under the jurisdiction of the General Presidency for Girls’ Education might seem to be contradictory and probably trigger thoughts of discrimination from rationally mature readers. The fact that Saudi Arabia was, and remains an Islamic nation, accounts for why the girl child was educated in accordance to Islamic values. This could not be an issue of contention. Human beings develop well when they are given a chance to follow the norms of their society (Jerichow, 1998).Women had enough space to pursue education. It is worth noting that between 1970 and 1982, there were 11 colleges established exclusively for women to pursue bachelor’s degrees. Some of the colleges had the capacity to offer masters degrees in â€Å"education, science , humanities and social work† (Sedgwick, 2001). One of the colleges offered doctorate studies in education (Sedgwick, 2001). The charts below (chart 1 and 2) show the progress of girls’ education in Saudi Arabia from 1974/5 compared to 2004/5. Chart 1 Chart 2Advertising We will write a custom thesis sample on Education and Saudi females specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More By 2003, Saudi Arabia had the lowest literacy rate (62%) among the Gulf nations (Al-Khalifa, 2009). However, the literacy rates of men and women were 72% and 50% respectively (Al-Khalifa, 2009). Taking into consideration the rates of literacy of men and women (15% and 2% respectively) in 1970, it is clear that the literacy levels have continuously been improved though females continue to lag behind males. It is expected that by 2015, the rates will be much higher if the trends are to continue (Hamdan, 2005). It can be considered that the discovery of oil in Saudi Arabia in 1930 was an important input towards the development of education. It was used in creating a pool of funds for schools to be set up across the nation. The discovery of oil in the nation is also highly associated with much of the changes associated with women and their education. Of great impact was the establishment of the ARAMCO (Arabian American Oil Company) which brought many American families working with the companies to Saudi Arabia in 1970s. Schools had to be built to educate the children of ARAMCO employees (Jerichow, 1998). This was a remarkable economic development. It proved to highly influential to the Saudi people. They got a consistent source of income to continue funding their education. Numbers of scholars grew accordingly. More women enrolled in schools since conditions became more favorable. Modernization has had an impact on the education of Saudi people. Women in Saudi Arabia have been changed accordingly. It has a highly felt impact to the gen eral Saudi Arabian society (Hamdan, 2005). The effect of placing the girl’s education under the jurisdiction of the General Presidency for Girls’ Education can be said to have altered the way girls and women in general viewed education. Challenges Confronted The kind of information that one is exposed to determines the ability of such a person (Ramady, 2010). As much as the Saudi Arabian education system was established as early as the 1950s, one may want to argue that it has been more of a psychological conditioning for the females. The case may be so because students were given a training which mastered their way of living. They were directed towards a behavior which concurred with societal norms (Farlex, 2011). Psychological conditioning can be defined as â€Å"a process of behavior modification in which a subject is encouraged to behave in a desired manner through positive or negative reinforcement, so that the subject comes to associate the pleasure or displeasur e of the reinforcement with the behavior† (Farlex, 2011). The conditioning of females in education to fit set measures is one of the biggest challenges to their education.Advertising Looking for thesis on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Hamdan (2005) noted that girls’ education should not necessarily be streamlined to educate girls into domestic roles as â€Å"good mothers, nurses or teachers†. There were numerous of such cases in girls’ education and thus females who went through the education system became mothers, r teachers or nurses. Technically, by not being empowered educationwise, they were barred from the pursuit of most other areas of interest. The effect of this kind of conditioning has not been well documented. However Hamdan (2005) notes that it is not a highly preferred system of education. Negative Perception towards Education Though there is a clear indication that the government is willing to support girls’ education, there are also many indicators that the efforts being put in place are too little to create any difference and may just elicit negative perception towards female education (Budhwar Mellahi, n.d.). It is notable that despite the various pieces of legislatio n that are in place, women are still not entitled to fair and equal treatment just like men. This has been due to attitude of the society AlMunajjed (n.d.) The net effect that this kind of treatment has on girls and women is the creation of a negative perception towards education for females. Lack of Self Confidence Early marriages are still practiced in Saudi Arabia whereby young girls are normally married off to older men. In most cases, women perceive this as an act of degrading their self image and it reduces their self confidence. Early marriages inhibit young girls from pursuing their education further (AlMunajjed, n.d.). The system of educating boys and girls differently also contributes to degrading the self confidence of girls. Numerous complaints have been aired in regard to the resources that are usually allocated for female education (AlMunajjed, n.d.). It has been alleged that resources allocated for girls’ education are less when compared to those of boys. For e xample, evidence has shown that teaching staff posted to the boys’ schools are often of higher qualifications when compared to those in girl schools. This represents outright discrimination and it is a clear indication that females are not as worthy for investing in (Hamdan, 2005). When critically examined, this is a degradation of the female dignity and which in the long run erodes the self confidence of females (Jerichow, 1998). Lack of Role Models in Education Due to the nature of education in Saudi Arabia, it is very hard for a female student to excel in education. Because of this, there are few female leaders in the academic fields. This implies that girls who seek to identify themselves with senior girls as role models in education often do not have one to imitate. This can be quite discouraging especially where role models from other countries can not be admired by the Saudi girls because they do not incur similar challenges as those incurred by female students in Saud i Arabia (AlMunajjed, n.d.). Present Status: Higher Education and Female Students For several years Saudi women have been marginalized since it was there legal guardians, mainly their husbands and fathers who could define the destiny of a Saudi woman. Behind this denial of liberties, there are huge improvements being made in the field of higher education (Hamdan, 2005). There has been growing access for women into higher institutions of learning and particularly universities. This has been recognized as a monumental step that could lay the foundation for the rights of women and their future empowerment especially in accessing employment. It is considered that any effort to liberate and to empower the Saudi woman should be focused in education (Ramady, 2010). There has been a women education in Saudi Arabia since 1960.The efforts of the King Abdullah has further extended the education system for women and his reign has therefore been considered a golden era for women in regards to hi gher education. This King made women’s higher education his top priority in 2005 and ensured that that education of Saudi women continues to be an important objective. The efforts of the King are paying off since the current figure for women in universities account for 58 percent and the rate is expected to rise (Elliott, 2008). Consequently, to ensure that women access higher education from tertiary, Secondary and the university, he has constructed at least 300 colleges for women. These efforts have been recognized by the international community and currently, Saudi Arabia ranks 25th in the world among countries with a high percentage of women from the population in universities. Princess Noura bint Abdulrahman University is the world’s number one women only institution and it accommodates approximately 50,000 female students (World Policy, 2011). Since, Saudi Arabia is a religiously conservative country; the enhancement of women’s access to higher education ha s raised a lot of tension between the government and the Wahhabi religious establishment particularly regarding gender-integrated classes. Despite the expansion of opportunities for higher education for women, they still have to seek legal permission from their fathers or their husbands to participate (Elliott, 2008). Consequently, there are some courses that women are not allowed to undertake like engineering, construction and aviation. Women are only allowed to study law at the undergraduate level but they are not allowed to practice it. There are some cases also where women are not allowed to study, programs like general surgery, orthopedic surgery and pediatrics, as has been witnessed in King Fahd Teaching Hospital in Al-Khobar where female are not admitted to these programs (World Policy, 2011). Females Participation in Distance Education Distance education has been introduced to meet the increased demand for education. The presence of modern advanced systems of telecommunicati on and information technology, and the need to minimize costs in supplying education to a rapidly growing market, has necessitated the move to greater distance education offerings. The decentralization of education so as to reach a critical mass of the population and the need to ensure education for all has been applied in Saudi Arabia. Of particular attention, are program that target women in the population, particularly those groups who have been marginalized in the past (Elliott, 2008). Distance education is gaining prominence in Saudi Arabia. This has been made possible by the large distribution of the student population. Distance education in Saudi Arabia is also applied due to gender segregation in tertiary education where male lecturers are not allowed to teach female students and they can only teach them by use of Closed Circuit Television, one way video and two-way audio broadcast (Elliott, 2008). Distance education allows males to teach females as they do need to be person ally face to face in the act of the teaching. Higher education has been used to enhance women’s access to education and to increase their opportunities. This has been achieved by the use of VSAT broadcasting technology and the internet (Elliott, 2008). In female colleges, for example, which operate under General Presidency for Girls Education, a subsidiary of Ministry of education, has been elevated to Princess Noura University and had its lectures transmitted from Riyadh to all female student institutions in the kingdom. The lectures and tutorials are made available through DVDs and video streaming (Al-Khalifa, 2009). Technology learning on females’ public school Technology-aided learning in Saudi Arabia has been applied as a motivation to utilize computer abilities in various education domains and to promote the activities of the learners (Elliott, 2008). This system has been dubbed as e-learning. In this system, education content is delivered by the use of televisio n, Video tape, CD-ROM and computer-based training. E-Learning in higher education was launched by GOTEVOT, which is the official government authority in charge of technical and vocational training (Al-Khalifa, 2009). The ministry of education recognizes E-learning in learning institutions so as to address the issue the shortage of female lecturers in gender-segregated institutions. Way Forward Distance Education Barriers The barriers facing students pursuing distance education fall in the following categories: lack of feedback, response from teachers, comprehensive training, alienation, isolation and few Saudi women scholars. Distance learning students have a lot of insecurities regarding their learning. This support is usually in terms of expenses they incur in the course of acquiring education. Lack of Feedback or Response from the Teachers Most Female students do not have direct contact with their teachers hence leading to self-evaluation trouble. This may lead to risk of limited academic and social integration into a complete institutional life in future. Isolation and alienation There are students who have a feeling that they are alienated from the system of education. Consequently, distance education will take away the normal social interactions which are associated with traditional and conventional learning environment. Comprehensive Training There may be some cases where majority of the students are well conversant with technological issues like the use of computer and internet. Using of technology has the risk of excluding some students who lack computer skills (Galusha, 2008). In this case, comprehensive training should be encouraged in order to build the learners skills making them to be able to use technology effectively (Mà ¼ller, 2008). Saudi Women Scholars There are very few Saudi women scholars. This has been probably due to the kind of societal conditioning towards women education. As noted above, there are too many factors which inhibit the pursuit of education by Saudi women. There is need to encourage the few Saudi women scholars to speak up. It has been a challenge to get the Saudi women scholars to engage in public forums where they can be reached by those seeking inspiration. There is also need to encourage more women to participate in the job market where they can showcase their talents and abilities. This will enable them to come out clearly and be icons for young Saudi girls who might be eager to pursue education to higher levels (Sidiya, 2010). The launch of inspirational dialogue forums like the one in Jeddah is quite significant. Such inspirational talks will encourage young Saudi girls to go through the education system and come out successfully (Sabbagh, 1996). Further, such inspirational dialogue should be promoting successful women in entrepreneurship, artists and academic scholars. The Jeddah program was an online forum initiated by Unilever as part of its corporate social responsibility so as to create role models for the young Saudi women and to achieve positive contribution from women (Banga, 2011). Conclusion The education of females in Saudi has empowered women in the society and helped to reduce the gender gap which has been the greatest impediment to the education of females. This has prompted the government to reform the education system so as to address the challenges. The development of educational infrastructure such as schools for women and distance education to enable rural women access education opportunities has been put in place. The King has played a significant role in furthering education for women. From 11 colleges in the 1970s, the number of women colleges has drastically increased to 300. There is a continued need, however, for even greater effort to be channeled towards ensuring that the girl child has an equal chance to full education. References Al-Khalifa, H.S. (2009). The State of Distance Education in Saudi. eLearn Magazine. Retrieved from https://elear nmag.acm.org/archive.cfm?aid=1642193 AlMunajjed, M. (n.d.). Women’s Education in Saudi Arabia. Ideation Center. Web. Banga, K. (2011). New initiative aims to inspire women. SME Advisor. Retrieved from https://www.sme10x.com/news/new-initiative-aims-to-inspire-saudi-women Budhwar, P. Mellahi, K. (n.d.). Managing Human Resource in the Middle East. New York, NY: Cengage Learning. Elliott, C. (2008). Global empowerment of women: responses to globalization. New York, NY: Rutledge. Farlex, I. (2011). Operandi Conditioning. The Free Dictionary. Retrieved from http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Psychological+conditioning Galusha, J.M. (2008). Barriers to Learning in Distance Education. Infrastructure. Web. Hamdan, A. (2005). Women and education in Saudi Arabia: Challenge and Achievements. International Education Journal, 6(1), 42-64. Jerichow, A. (1998). The Saudi file: people, power politics. New Jersey, NJ: Prentice Hall. Merriam Webster dictionary. (2011). Meaning of Education. Merriam Webster Dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/education Mà ¼ller, T. (2008). Persistence of women in online degree-completion programs. International review of research in open and distance learning, 9(2), 1-18. Ramady, M. (2010). The Saudi Arabian Economy: Policies, Achievement and Challenges. New York, NY: Cengage Learning. Sabbagh, S. (1996). Arab women between defiance and restraint. New Jersey, NJ: Prentice Hall. Sedgwick, R. (2001). Education in Saudi Arabia. World Education and Reviews. Retrieved from https://wenr.wes.org/2001/11/wenr-nov-dec-2001-education-in-saudi-arabia Sidiya, F. (2010). Few Women scholars willing to talk on TV. Arab News. Retrieved from arabnews.com/ Wilson, P. Graham, D. (1994). Saudi Arabia: the coming storm. Pennsylvania, PA: Rutledge. World Policy. (2011). The Path to progress for Saudi Women. World Policy. Retrieved from https://worldpolicy.org/2011/10/18/higher-education-the-path-to-progress-for -saudi-women/

Tracking Your Goals for Success

Tracking Your Goals for Success Working on commission can be stressful, especially when you dont know how much money comes in each month. Just as you keep track of your bills, you should get in the habit, if you havent already, of staying up-to-date with each piece of work you have in the pipeline. Not only will this help your bottom line, but youll also keep on track with your major goals. For instance, if your goal is to write for  The Writer Magazine, you may need to climb the ladder from where you stand now. Its rare for first time freelancers to break into the national magazine market, so build a system and break down your goal into smaller bites to develop your portfolio to improve your effort toward that big accomplishment. Using the system outlined below, I wrote my first article for a paying ezine and quickly followed it with work for Writing for Dollars, Writers Weekly, and Writer2Writer. Twenty articles later, I had my first article accepted While I use Excel, you may use Microsoft Word, a day planner, or simply a blank notebook (If you prefer, you can use apps), and just as you would schedule your doctors appointments and kids soccer games, create a task list of everyday activities needed to bring in the income. As a freelancer, your times can be flexible, but I caution you to adhere to certain goals each day. Divide your list into four separate sections like the example below. The first section is research, the second is reviewing the guidelines, the third is preparing and submitting, and the fourth is writing and editing. To stay on task with your goals, you have to set aside time each day to do all four. Research Review Guidelines Prep Submission Pkgs Writing Editing Research mags blogs for places to submit article on Writing Tight Review writers guidelines for Parenting Today and  Working Moms Prep submission pkg for Adopting at 50 Parenting Today Working Moms Begin writing the Writing Tight article. Edit other article on staying healthy during the winter When an idea for an article strikes, begin researching places that might be interested before you waste time writing. Some writers suggest pitching before the article is written, but such a move is dependent upon the publications guidelines. After your research, review the guidelines once more for the article you finished the evening before. Guidelines can change so confirming what you should be sending saves time for you and the editor.   Then prepare the submission package for your article and move on to the writing phase of your evening. As you work, highlight each completed task so at the end of the day, youll see the progress youve made. Each evening, create a new list so you start fresh each morning. Carry over the activities you didnt complete the previous day onto the new list and start with those first. Never skip over one of your tasks because doing so erases a potential income opportunity and sets you back a step. Yes, you work on more than one article at a time. Hope Clark keeps as many as thirteen in play, as she likes to put it. Youre always moving forward, working multiple opportunities at different levels. Trust me, its doable. Just ask every successful freelance writer. To achieve goals, you need to keep up with where you are on your journey. This system is designed to help any writer climb the ladder of success, but even if you dont use this one, you should have a way to track the steps youre taking toward your dream.

Informative abstract one page on the 8 of a mechanical heart with MLA Research Paper

Informative abstract one page on the 8 of a mechanical heart with MLA formatted work cited - Research Paper Example The task involves not just mimicking the mechanics of the heart but its interaction with the brain. The significance of heart is no less profound today, but now it assumes an aura of pragmatism with concern for healthfulness which has resulted in the development of the mechanical heart. In patients with advanced heart failure, their heart isnt strong enough to pump sufficient blood for normal activities, leaving them greatly fatigued and frequently bedridden with difficulty breathing. Mechanical heart pumps are designed to help the heart pump blood from the left ventricle to the aorta, increasing flow throughout the body. A mechanical heart is designed to reduce the total work load of a heart that can no longer work at its normal capacity. These hearts consist of equipment that pulses the blood between heart beats or use an artificial auxiliary ventricle (left ventricle assist device, LVAD) that pumps a portion of the normal cardiac output. Because such devices usually result in complications to the patient, they have generally been used as a temporary replacement until natural he arts can be obtained for transplantation. Two artificial hearts have been invented in the US, the Jarvik 7 and the AbioCor, but both have drawbacks: the first has wires that protrude through the skin, and the second can produce blood clots that can lead to stroke. The mechanical heart restores hemodynamic stability; raising blood pressure and helping vital organs recover, as much as possible, in preparation for a heart transplant.  For persons who are not heart transplant candidates, the mechanical heart has allowed prolonged time with family and friends, and time to enjoy desired activities.  Patients can even go home with a fully implanted mechanical heart. Advantages of the mechanical heart are that it is readily available and there is no need for immunosuppressive drugs, which can compromise renal

Nursing Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nursing Proposal - Essay Example Research indicates that an approximated number of reported infections of about 38,000 are recorded in the year. Out of the reported cases, 9000 deaths are reported each year. A patients’ duration in the hospital is influenced by CAUTI, which can extend the period to up to 2-4 days. The United States government devotes a full660 million dollars. Treatment of the disease is quite expensive (Cdc.gov, 2015). There is several health complications associated with urinary tract infections that a patients that can suffer if infected. Urinary tract infection damages the urinary drainage system of the patient and causes unnecessary antimicrobial use. The urinary drainage system if infected becomes the habitat for multidrug-resistant bacteria which is easily and quickly spread to other patients. The aim of this paper, the nursing proposal is to focus on the different ways of preventing and minimizing the rates of infections of CAUTI. Patients diagnosed with CAUTI can implement quality improvement (QI) program that would help them improve their health and managements of the disease. The improvement (QI) program helps reduce the risks of CAUTI based on health care organization’s risk assessment. The program helps the patients monitor and use catheters appropriately. Improvement program helps identify and realize the importance of urinary catheter and also gives the necessary information on how and when to remove the catheters when it is no longer in need. An improvement (QI) program will help health care practitioners take great care of their patients and maintain the recommended standards of hygiene of the urinary catheter. With the help of the program experienced and well-trained health professionals will be able to insert urinary catheters using disinfected procedure and sterile equipment. The health care professionals will be in a position of maintaining the urinary catheters by ensuring that the urinar y drainage system is free from blockage (Cdc.gov, 2015). The

Cancer and Reproducibility of Decisions

Cancer and Reproducibility of Decisions Urologic cancer: What about reproducibility of decision made at multidisciplinary team management? BAYOUD Y, LOOCK PY, MENARD J, MESSAOUDI R, RIPERT T, PIERREVELCIN J, KOZAL S, LEON P, KAMDOUM M, CHOLET I, LARRE S . Abstract: Introduction: The prostate cancer (PCa) treatment is multimodal. Thus multidisciplinary team management (MDTM) decision-making process appears as a tool to answer all aspects of PCa. To evaluate the reproducibility of therapeutic decisions made at MDTM. Materials and Methods: We compared therapeutic decisions of PCa by presenting the same file of patient under a fake identity after 6 to 12 months from the first presentation. Forty-nine files of radical prostatectomy (RP) (28 pT2, 21 pT3) performed for clinical localized PCa were represented at MDTM which included urologist, oncologist, pathologist and radiologist. Analysis of therapeutic decisions comprised criteria as: TNM stage, Gleason score, margin status and comorbidities. The reproducibility was assessed statistically by Kappa coefficient. Results: Forty-nine file of radical prostatectomy (RP). The mean age was similar in both groups. The mean PSA was 8,32 ng/ ml (3,56-19,5) in pT2 group and 9.4ng/ml (3,8-22) in pT3 group. The margin status was positive in 25% and 47,6% respectively in pT2 and pT3 group. Decision made for pT2 group were the same in 100% case (k=1). In the group of pT3 (n=21), 33% of decision were different at second MDTM, especially for pT3b with only 29% reproducible decision (k= 0,1). Concerning pT3a, 86% of decision were reproducible (k= 0,74). Conclusion: We showed a reliability and reproducibility of decision made at MDTM when guidelines are well defined. The therapeutic attitudes were less reproducible in locally advanced PCa but decision concerning those cases should be made in the setting of guidelines. Key words: Cancer, Kappa coefficient, Prostate, multidisciplinary, Reproducibility. INTRODUCTION: The prostate cancer (PCa) is the most frequent cancer in men as well in Europe and USA (1). The PCa counts for 11% of all men cancers and it’s responsible for 9% of the mortality by cancer in men in Europe. In France in 2010, the incidence of PCa was 71577 cases and the related mortality of PCa at the same year was 8791 deaths which represent a 2.5% less mortality per year during last years (2). The multidisciplinary team management becomes an obligation for all oncologic fields as mentioned by the French government law: cancer program 2003-2007, this program stipulate that each new patient should benefit from MDTM decision-making process, organize the setting of MDTM and also gives tools to develop trials of research for a new diagnosis and therapeutic arsenal (3). Some urologists express some doubt about the interest of MDTM because of it’s a new burden without assigned budget while others see in the MDTM an equality of chance of patients, and possibility to include patients in trials and protocols. Number of European study showed the interest of MDTM and its beneficial impact on survival (4, 5). The efficiency of decisions made at MDTM is obvious but the evidence about their reproducibility remains doubtful. Through patients underwent a radical prostatectomy (RP) for localized prostate cancer (PCa) and represented identically, we evaluated a reproducibility of decision made at MDTM. Materials and Methods: From January 2011 to March 2012, 183 patients underwent radical prostatectomy for localized PCa, all of them were presented at MDTM and decision of diagnosis and treatment validated. Within those patients some files were selected prospectively for a second presentation. All of patients were presented identically under a fake identity 6 to 12 months later. Each file contained a full filled form including all decision- making parameters concerning patient (appendix 1). Patients were selected after agreement of their urologist who didn’t participate at decision making process at a second presentation. We also presented a case of patient which can be susceptible for debate and distinguished two groups. First one with localized PCa with or without positive margins (pT2 R0 or R1) and second one with advanced PCa (pT3a or b, R0 or R1) regarding 2002 pTNM classification. Criteria of selection was to select patients with localized and advanced PCa, we also selected those at low and high risk of local and systemic relapse based on pTNM and gleason score, two only important parameters  «predicting local and systemic relapse after RP » we had at this moment of decision making process (1). Thus we tried to have each half of group with gleason score at low and high risk of relapse. The group of pT2 comprised approximately 50% of patient with gleason score > 6 and the group of pT3 comprised approximately 50% of patient with gleason score ≠¤ 3+4 (table 1). We compared a decision made for each patient in both MDTM. All decisions were made accordingly to usual criteria as pTNM stage, Gleason score, margin status, comorbidities and choice of patients. MDTM comprised 5 urologists’ seniors and 2 juniors, 1 pathologist, 1 medical oncologist, 1 radiotherapist and 1 radiologist and organized weekly. The statistical analysis chosen for comparison between first and second decision made at MDTM was Kappa coefficient which scale vary from non-agreement to perfect. The coefficient Kappa is a statistical tool to assess reproducibility. It also allows an estimate of concordance of qualitative judgments for the same situations by two different observers (6). We compared all criteria of study with t-test for independent samples using means ±SD. Results: From January 2011 to March 2012, 183 patients underwent RP for localized PCa. From this population forty nine patients were selected prospectively and distribution of patients was as follows: 28 pT2c, 21 pT3 (14 pT3a and 7 pT3b). Baseline criteria of patient group and t-test are resumed in table 1. We observed a reproducibility of 100 % of the group of pT2c independently of the margin status and Gleason score. Kappa coefficient was perfect (ÃŽ º=1). In the group of pT3a, decisions were reproducible in 86% cases, with therapeutic attitude putting in balance surveillance or extra beam radiation therapy (EBRT) (figure 1). The distribution of decisions was as follows: 28% for EBRT, 72% for surveillance at MDTM 1 and 14% for EBRT, 86% for surveillance. The coefficient Kappa was substantial with a value of 0,74. In the group of pT3b, decisions were reproducible in only 29% cases. Therapeutic decisions were EBRT plus androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in 71% patients and surveillance in 29% patients at MDTM 1, while therapeutic decisions at MDTM 2 were 14,5% for EBRT, 14,5% for EBRT plus androgen deprivation therapy and 71% for surveillance (Figure 2). The Kappa coefficient was slight with a value of 0,1. Discussion: Our study showed the pertinence of MDTM recommended by Law of cancer program 2003-2007 (3). Many European studies showed the interest of MDTM (4, 5), but number of urologists expresses some doubts about benefits, exposing as argument a new burden without assigned budget. This position is partly supported by Asher PL et al, they reported in 124 cases of urological cancer, MDTM changed therapeutic attitude in only 2% cases, thus authors suggested that urologist could presented only few patients to MDTM which reduced significantly a working cost without compromising therapeutic patient’s chance (7). Van Belle S showed that MDTM established by the Belgian governmental program was a success thanks to specifically assigned budget. Authors reported also indirect evidence between MDTM and survival rate of cancer in Belgium because it’s within the five best European rates (2,3 and (8) This hypothesis was sustained by results of Sternberg CN et al study, they concluded of beneficial effect of MDTM on free recurrence survival of PCa in patients at high risk of recurrence, in particular phase III of TAX 3501 where was compared treatment with immediate or differed ADT with or without docetaxel after RP (9). Our study showed reliability and reproducibility of decisions made at MDTM. This is valid in pT2 patients group in whom 100% of reproducibility was observed, while pT3a patients group showed 86% reproducibility (ÃŽ º = 0.74). However pT3b patients group showed worse rate of reproducibility with 29% (ÃŽ º = 0.1), this result should be interpreted with caution considering the smallness of sample (n=7). Further studies with biggest sample are mandatory to make conclusion. Those cases are still complex situations demanding MDTM decision-making process. The lack of well-defined recommendations certainly contributes to the weak rate of reproducibility of decision made at MDTM for locally advanced PCa. GETUG 17 trial which compares immediate EBRT associated to ADT versus deferred EBRT at biochemical recurrence with ADT for patients underwent RP in whom definitive pathology result is pT3 R1( R1: positive surgical margins) will contribute to clarify recommendations. The interest of MDTM is to include patients in the same trial. To support this idea, Nguyen TD et al showed in their study for breast cancer which recommendations are well designed that 92% of MDTM decisions were in accordance to recommendations and 96% of these decisions were followed by patient’s responsible doctor. They conclude also of the interest of including patients in trial (10). The same conclusions were reported by Carducci MA et al, they surveyed prospectively 8 cancers in 6 hospitals, and they showed that 128 patients of 153 (84%) benefited from specific therapeutic decisions thanks to MDTM. Authors insisted on the interest of MDTM in advanced PCa and inclusion of patients in trial (11). Several studies seem to end on the interest of a tool to standardize and optimize the therapeutic decisions. Thus, Benjamin A et al reported significant differences in care of localized PCa in the United States of America. Between 2000 and 2001, 2775 cases of localized PCa were collected from 55160 patients. They considered many criteria as geographic location, type of institution (academic hospital or community hospital), pathology analysis and follow-up after treatment. Significant differences were observed regarding geographic origin and type of institution where treatment was provided. Besides criteria as tumor volume, extra capsular extension and pTNM stage were considered for making decision process respectively only in 37,1%, 68,6%, 48,2% (11). Hardly 55% of patients benefited from a follow-up (12). Clarke MG et al showed in cohort of 30 urologists for whom were subjected questionnaires representing patients’ scenarios with prostate cancer, a mean of 3 cues from 9 were used to make therapeutic decision. Criteria as life expectancy, digital rectal examination, age of patient and patient’s choice were rarely used. The authors also reported that urologists made a different therapeutic decision in 31,4% cases when they answered a same questionnaire at different time. They conclude that well defined recommendations and MDTM will standardize process of making decision and enhance reproducibility of decisions (13). These observations were also demonstrated by Wilson J et al in their study concerning 32 urologists from Great Britain, for whom 70 questionnaires representing medical history of prostate cancer were subjected. Thirteen questionnaires among 70 were repeated to evaluate intra- observer reproducibility. They reported that intra-observer reproducibility varied fro m 56% to 79%, while inter-observer reproducibility varied from 24% to 57%. Authors conclude on interest of standardizing therapeutic scheme and working in MDTM process for better decision reproducibility(14). The MDTM appears as an answer to this need of optimizing the care process. Conclusion: In our study we showed a reliability and reproducibility of decision made at MDTM. Reproducibility is acquired when recommendations are well defined. This is proved for localized prostate cancer. On the other hand decisions for advanced prostate cancer were less reproducible even if decisions were made in the setting of recommendations of French Urologist association. These last cases justify more submission in the MDTM in the purpose to standardize the care process, facilitate inclusion in trial. This will allow having well-defined recommendations for complex cases of prostate cancer, and leading to best reproducibility of decision made at MDTM. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Heidenreich A, Aus G, Bolla M, et al. EAU guidelines on prostate cancer. European urology. 2008;53(1):68-80. Epub 2007/10/09. Salomon L, Azria D, Bastide C, et al. [Recommendations Onco-Urology 2010: Prostate cancer]. Progres en urologie : journal de lAssociation francaise durologie et de la Societe francaise durologie. 2010;20 Suppl 4:S217-51. Epub 2010/12/07. Recommandations en Onco-Urologie 2010: Cancer de la prostate. Plan cancer 2003-2007 (French Government Law ): http://www.afssa.fr/ET/DocumentsET/plan cancer.pdf Verdecchia A, Francisci S, Brenner H, et al. Recent cancer survival in Europe: a 2000- 02 period analysis of EUROCARE-4 data. The lancet oncology. 2007;8(9):784-96. Epub 2007/08/24. Berrino F, De Angelis R, Sant M, et al. Survival for eight major cancers and all cancers combined for European adults diagnosed in 1995-99: results of the EUROCARE-4 study. The lancet oncology. 2007;8(9):773-83. Epub 2007/08/24. Bergeri I, Michel R, Boutin JP. [Everything (or almost everything) about the Kappa coefficient]. Medecine tropicale : revue du Corps de sante colonial. 2002;62(6):634-6. Epub 2003/05/07. Pour tout savoir ou presque sur le coefficient Kappa. Acher PL, Young AJ, Etherington-Foy R, McCahy PJ, Deane AM. Improving outcomes in urological cancers: the impact of multidisciplinary team meetings. Int J Surg. 2005;3(2):121-3. Epub 2007/04/28. Van Belle S. How to implement the multidisciplinary approach in prostate cancer management: the Belgian model. BJU international. 2008;101 Suppl 2:2-4. Epub 2008/03/01. Sternberg CN, Krainer M, Oh WK, et al. The medical management of prostate cancer: a multidisciplinary team approach. BJU international. 2007;99(1):22-7. Epub 2006/09/08. Nguyen TD, Legrand P, Devie I, Cauchois A, Eymard JC. [Qualitative assessment of the multidisciplinary tumor board in breast cancer]. Bulletin du cancer. 2008;95(2):247-51. Epub 2008/02/29. Evaluation qualitative de la reunion de concertation pluridisciplinaire de cancerologie mammaire. Carducci MA, Carroll PR. Multidisciplinary management of advanced prostate cancer: changing perspectives on referring patients and enhancing collaboration between oncologists and urologists in clinical trials. Urology. 2005;65(5 Suppl):18-22; discussion Epub 2005/05/12. Spencer BA, Miller DC, Litwin MS, et al. Variations in quality of care for men with early-stage prostate cancer. Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. 2008;26(22):3735-42. Epub 2008/08/02. Clarke MG, Wilson JR, Kennedy KP, MacDonagh RP. Clinical judgment analysis of the parameters used by consultant urologists in the management of prostate cancer. The Journal of urology. 2007;178(1):98-102. Epub 2007/05/15. Wilson J, Kennedy K, Ewings P, Macdonagh R. Analysis of consultant decision- making in the management of prostate cancer. Prostate cancer and prostatic diseases. 2008;11(3):288-93. Epub 2007/10/31. Table1:Baselinecharacteristicsofpatientsgroupandt-testof independent sample Figure 1: Therapeutic decisions made for pT3aN0M0 group at MDTM 1 and 2 Figure 2: Therapeutic decisions made for pT3bN0M0 group at MDTM 1 and 2 APPENDIX 1: Initial location :Date of diagnosis : DD/MM/YYYY Clinical TNM stage: Pathology result (specimen): pT: XX pN: XX M: XX Status margin (R): Rx Motive: Diagnosis à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯Therapeutic decision à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ Therapeutic adjustment à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯Ãƒ ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Surveillance after treatment à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯Ãƒ ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Another motiveà ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ Medical history : Result of exams : (ex CT scan, MRI, Bone scan, medical notice of colleague †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦) Patient’s choice : WHO general health status :0 à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯Ãƒ ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  1 à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯2 à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯3 à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯4 à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ Comorbidities: Therapeutic suggestion : Final thà ©rapeutic decision :

Commentary on John Keats’s Poems Essay

O golden-tongued Romance with serene lute! Fair plumed Syren! Queen of far away! Leave melodizing on this wintry day, Shut up thine olden pages, and be mute: Adieu! for once again the fierce dispute, Betwixt damnation and impassion’d clay Must I burn through; once more humbly assay The bitter-sweet of this Shakespearian fruit. Chief Poet! and ye clouds of Albion, Begetters of our deep eternal theme, When through the old oak forest I am gone, Let me not wander in a barren dream, But when I am consumed in the fire, Give me new Phoenix wings to fly at my desire. COMMENTARY : The poem under study was written in 1818 after the completion of John Keats’s 4,000-line poem Endymion. We are facing a traditional and fixed form of poem as â€Å"Sitting Down to Read King Lear Once Again† is an Elizabethan sonnet  composed of fourteen lines which are divided up into three quatrains, that is four-line stanzas, and a final couplet -or two lines of verse. The rhyming pattern is abba, cddc, efef, gg as, notably â€Å"Lute† (l.1) rhymes with â€Å"mute† (l.4), â€Å"far-away† (l.2) with â€Å"day† (l.3) and â€Å"dispute† (l.5) with â€Å"fruit† (l.8). Moreover, the lines are iambic pentameters since they contain five iambic feet for instance : _ / _ / _ / _ / _ / â€Å"O Gol/den-tongued /Romance, /with se/rene Lute!† Like most of Keats’s poems, this text deals with the speaker’s encounter with something which incites him to meditate and alters significantly his vision of life. It is the perusal of King Lear written by William Shakespeare in 1605 which affects him this time and this is not a first reading judging by the presence of â€Å"Once Again† in the title. Keats was a great admirer of Shakespeare. The theme of death, which is one of Keats’s main concerns, is latent in the poem. This sonnet’s thought can be divided into four parts. Firstly, chivalric romances are praised and put aside. Secondly, the effects they provoke are contrasted with those engendered by the reading of King Lear. Thirdly, the speaker begs Shakespeare and heaven , his sources of inspiration, to help him. Finally, he compares himself to the Phoenix, which has the power to be immortal. To begin with, the first quatrain opens with the interjection â€Å"O† which is by definition used to express strong feelings. Indeed, the poem is charged with lyricism, the two exclamation marks contributing to it among other things. In this way, we are conscious from the beginning that the speaker ‘s rereading of Shakespeare’s tragedy makes him profoundly react. Then, the term â€Å"Romance† refers to medieval romance, a form of narrative which developed in the 12th century and related tales of chivalry and courtly love. Its heroes were idealized and the plot often contained  miraculous or supernatural elements such as dragons or monsters fighting for the sake of the heroine. The adjective which qualifies this genre of literature, that is â€Å"Golden-tongued†, means that it is wonderfully narrated. Besides, it can be paralleled with â€Å"the realms of gold† Keats refers to in the same first line of the sonnet â€Å"Upon First Looking into Chapman’s Homer†, the phrase being there a metaphor for books he highly values. Next, the lute is a stringed instrument, whose music acts as an enchantment on readers and leads them to sweet thoughts. This first line is basically an apostrophe since the speaker directly addresses â€Å"Golden-tongued Romance† thus personifying it. The â€Å"Fair plumed Syren† is praised as well, the poet considering her a royal person -a â€Å"Queen†- who â€Å"melodiz[es]† (l.3). She is also present in the romance in question. A siren, in Greek mythology, is one of the three sea nymphs, usually represented with the head of a woman and the body of a bird. They inhabited an island surrounded by dangerous rocks and sang so enchantingly that all who heard were drawn near or shipwrecked. The tune produced by the lute can be compared to the bewitching one sang by the siren which irresistibly attracts the poet to like this kind of literature. But, the lexical field of pleasure including â€Å"serene Lute†, â€Å"Fair plumed Syren† and â€Å"melodizing† among other things is contrasted with more negative phrases such as â€Å"wintry day†, â€Å"Shut up† and â€Å"mute†. This indicates that the poet is willing to wander from the sweet thoughts these readings generate, the â€Å"Golden-tongued Romance† being a synecdote for chivalric romances in general. Moreover, the personification process is extended on line 4 since â€Å"Golden-tongued Romance† is addressed as though it was endowed with life and speech. Indeed, â€Å"thine (†¦) Pages† are the book’s. Moreover, the siren is used as a metonymy for the narrative insofar as the poet combines the two on line 4, the predicates â€Å"Shut up† and â€Å"be mute† referring to the nymph. Finally, the adjective â€Å"olden† alludes to this literature’s ancient existence. In short, this first quatrain deals with the poet’s liking for medieval romances insisting on their enchanting power. Nevertheless, the latter wishes to dismiss them from his mind. And prosopopeia is aimed at showing that he is deeply affected by his rereading of King Lear. The second stanza is going to contrast images of beauty with what Shakespeare’s tragedy displays. Next, the second quatrain begins with the poet bidding farewell to pleasant meditations. But, we should first and foremost put this sonnet back in its context. We can easily presume that it is autobiographic, thus that Keats reveals us his own worries. In 1818, he is aware that he has short time left to live due to the fatal illness he is suffering from, that is tuberculosis. Moreover, we have already realized that he is scared of death, particularly in his â€Å"When I have fears that I may cease to be†. In the second stanza, the lexical field of hell is present through â€Å"fierce†, â€Å"damnation† and â€Å"burn through†. And the predicate â€Å"burn through† must be taken both literally and figuratively. On the one hand, it hints at Keats’s future death. On the other, it indicates his agitation facing antagonistic directions as he is torn between hellish visions and sweeter meditations, designated by â€Å"damnation† versus â€Å"impassion’d clay†. So, â€Å"damnation† is a metaphor for the thoughts the reading of King Lear provokes while â€Å"impassion’d clay† refers to those generated by chivalric romances. The word â€Å"clay† probably makes reference to the Bible as the sacred book states that God made the human body with this material. So, it symbolizes fecundity and regeneration in other words life. Thus, it is tempting to infer that romances allow the poet to escape from reality whereas King Lear’s tragic fate reminds him of his bad condition. The second part of the quatrain deals with the poet’s will to concentrate on  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Shaksperean fruit† in other words on King Lear itself. While the first stanza introduced his liking for romances, this one gradually leads us to the subject of the poem – i.e. the feelings and thoughts the reading of the tragedy trigger. King Lear is quite a sad story as it deals among other things with consequences of the fatal mistake the eponymous character makes at retirement as he divides his kingdom between two of his daughters Goneril and Regan thinking that the youngest Cordelia is the one who loves him the least. Once he realizes that his trusted girls intend to drive him away, he leaves them. Cordelia, disowned, became Queen of France. She is informed of the situation and lands on her father’s old kingdom with an army to fight the other girls’. The play ends in a disaster since Goneril, ashamed because unmasked by her husband, who had not known how wicked his wife was, suicides herself after having poisoned her sister Regan, out of a spirit of jealousy. And Cordelia, defeated by her sisters, is hung in prison. Lear dies last, his dear daughter in his arms. The adjective â€Å"bitter-sweet† (l.8) hints at both the pleasure the speaker takes rereading the story and aforementioned sad thoughts. The death of the characters actually reminds him he is to die soon. To summarize, literature acts as a catalyst on Keats since it makes him meditate. And between the images of beauty romances trigger and the unhappy thoughts King Lear provokes, he finally chooses to concentrate on Shakespeare. The reasons of this choice are going to be given in the third stanza. The third quatrain begins in the same way as the second, with an exclamation. â€Å"Chief Poet!† is a characteristic attributed to Shakespeare. In fact, the speaker aims at emphasizing his admiration for the playwright. Then, Albion is the name given by elders to Great Britain because of its white cliffs -in Latin albus means white. This is also where King Lear takes place. And a theme, in a work of literature is an idea that the writer develops or  repeats. If we take into account this definition, â€Å"Chief Poet! and ye clouds of Albion, Begetters of our deep eternal theme!† may mean that Shakespeare and Great Britain are the poet’s inexhaustible inspiration. Next, the speaker identifies with Lear on line 11. When the latter realizes that what Goneril and Regan really want is to chase him away, he leaves. It is a wild and stormy night and he wanders about the fields half mad with misery. So, lines 11 and 12 allude to that very episode in the tragedy. This is an instance of intertextuality. In addition, we can perceive the presence of heaven in this stanza. First, the phrase â€Å"clouds of Albion† reminds us of that biblical place which is usually imagined as being high up in the sky. And spirits walking on clouds are often pictured. Moreover, the fact that Great Britain is named Albion because of its white cliffs conveys the idea of a bridge between earth and heaven or life and death. Next, the â€Å"old oak forest† is highly symbolical. In many traditions, the oak is a sacred tree which is vested with privileges of heaven’s supreme divinity. It is also considered as an intermediary between earth where it puts its roots and the vault of the sky that it touches with its top. That is probably due to its majestic appearance and because it attracts lightning. So, the â€Å"oak forest† can be regarded as a sacred and secluded place, in other words as a kind of sanctuary in which the poet roams waiting for his impending death. Personification is also used as the subject of the predicate â€Å"Let me not wander in a barren dream† is not only â€Å"Chief Poet† but also â€Å"clouds of Albion†. Keats’s fear to die is perceived in that line and begging the deceased playwright to save him is a way of highlighting his sacredness. Let us remind of Keats’s admiration for Shakespeare. Therefore, the Elizabethan writer and heaven’s importance are dealt with. They are the source of the speaker’s inspiration and his saviour. The final couplet is about the poet’s yearning to be reincarnated. Lastly, the legend of the Phoenix is introduced. In ancient Greek and Egyptian mythology, it is a bird. When it felt its death approaching -every 500 or 1461 years-, it would build a nest of aromatic wood, set it on fire and was consumed by the flames. When it was burned, a new phoenix sprang forth from the pyre. In these two lines, the poet compares himself to the mythical bird endowing himself with the same powers as its own, that is those of resurrection and immortality. Indeed, he is tormented by his impending death and yearns to be immortal, what he achieves in a way since 175 years after his death, he is still much read, valued and studied in universities. To conclude, it is pensive introspection in the form of lyric poetry on a young man’s impending death. We are made aware of Keats’s visionary experience rereading King Lear. His liking for romances is highlighted nevertheless he chooses to concentrate on Shakespeare’s masterpiece as it makes him think about his worries. Indeed, literature acts as a catalyst for meditation. Finally, we focus on the poet’s fear of death and yearning for immortality.