First impression of a topic (from February 5, 2008 )
At first I thought of the topic “Child Soldiers” in Africa. I am interested in that topic because the movie “Blood Diamond” which includes this topic pleased me very much. It is so terrifying and sad which happens to these children that you want to acquaint your concerns someone else.
But then I started with the theme “Politics in Developing Countries” which made me think about the globalization in developing countries. Because that would be to comprehensive I think I would limit myself to “World Trade in the Developing Countries” or something like that.
But I really do not know exactly which topic I will choose. I am interested as well in Africa as in globalization. But I tend towards globalization because I know more about that!
My train of thoughts about the skilled work (from April 15, 2008 )
At first I had to decide whether I want to write about “Globalization” or “Africa”. That was a very awkward decision because I’m more interested in globalization but in some way the topic africa is (in my opinion!) in most cases easier to handle. So i wanted to write about child soldiers in Africa. Somehow very interesting. But after rough two weeks I felt unhappy about that topic because I’m in fact more interested in globalization. So I thought about the theme “What chances do the African developing countries have to develope economically?”. It considers both topics: Africa and globalization. Now I just have to think about concretising the question. So in a few days I’m able to start creating the structure.
Interrogation and Structure
What influence do the global business environment and the industrial countries have on the economic underdevelopment of a devoloping country like Zambia?
1. Introduction
2. Colonial times of Zambia
2.1. Consequences of that period on the development of Zambia
3. Today’s economic situation
3.1. Gross national income
3.2. Unemployment rate
3.3. Economic sectors
3.4. Import
3.4.1. Countries and products of importation
3.5. Export
3.5.1. Countries and products of exportation
3.6. Growth rate
4. Policy of Zambia
4.1. Development policy
5. Influence of industrial countries on Zambia
5.1. Development aid
5.1.1. Scopes profiting by the development aid
5.1.2. Aid tyings
5.2. Foreign investors
6. Global economic settings
6.1. World Trade Organisation
6.1.1. Quota fixings
6.1.2. Prohibitive tarffs
6.1.3. Subsidies
6.2. International Bank for Reconstruction and Cevelopment
6.3. International Monetary Fund
6.2. Terms of Trade
6.3. Fluctuating commodity prices
7. Conclusion
8. Reflexion
9. Endnotes
10. Bibliography
1. Introduction
2. Colonial times of Zambia
2.1. Consequences of that period on the development of Zambia
3. Today’s economic situation
3.1. Gross national income
3.2. Unemployment rate
3.3. Economic sectors
3.4. Import
3.4.1. Countries and products of importation
3.5. Export
3.5.1. Countries and products of exportation
3.6. Growth rate
4. Policy of Zambia
4.1. Development policy
5. Influence of industrial countries on Zambia
5.1. Development aid
5.1.1. Scopes profiting by the development aid
5.1.2. Aid tyings
5.2. Foreign investors
6. Global economic settings
6.1. World Trade Organisation
6.1.1. Quota fixings
6.1.2. Prohibitive tarffs
6.1.3. Subsidies
6.2. International Bank for Reconstruction and Cevelopment
6.3. International Monetary Fund
6.2. Terms of Trade
6.3. Fluctuating commodity prices
7. Conclusion
8. Reflexion
9. Endnotes
10. Bibliography
May 11, 2008
After gathering a lot of information in the research library of Aurich and on the web I started to write my term paper today. For me it is a stiff job to sort out some informations and to decide for others. Because my topic is very comprehensive and so I really have to pick out the essential informations. After copying nearly 100 pages a few days ago, I have to read. I have to deal with the complicated stuff more than once. Furthermore, it is very exhausting to find the right vocabulary. Nevertheless, I think my topic is very interesting. So I feel confident that I will not get bored with it.
May 17, 2008
At last I managed writing the beginning of my term paper – the introduction (the easiest thing I think) and the “Colonial Times of Zambia”. It was not very difficult to say why I settled for this topic. For me the economic situation of the developing countries is concussive that I absolutely wanted to know if “we” are at fault.
But I am still wondering if it is adequate to inform about the colonial times of Zambia because at first sight you do not get the feeling that it is important for this topic. But I dealing with it more and more clarifys that the colonial times are also needed badly to understand the economic underdevelopment of Zambia.
May 23, 2008
I am at my wits’ end! I have read so many texts that I do not feel enabled to decide which information is necessary. Because I have to write precisely I cannot congest my term paper with a lot of details. So I have to try to reduce although I am only at my 4′th point.
May 25, 2008
I am on tenterhooks! Somehow, I do not like that which I have written heretofore. But I still have to work off roughly seven points so I cannot start writing from scratch. Consequently, I have to write further. I still have nine days wherefore I think that I will handle it.
May 26, 2008
I changed many of my points and my interrogation, so I will show the new version here:
1. Introduction of the Topic
2. Colonial Times of Zambia
2.1. Consequences of that Period on the development of Zambia
3. Today’s Zambia
3.1 Economic Situation of Zambia
3.1.a) Earning-Capacity Value
3.1.b) Main Source of Income
3.1.c) Unemployment Rate
3.1.d) Economic Growth
3.2. Policy of Zambia
4. Global Business Environment
4.1. International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
4.2. International Monetary Fund
4.3. World Trade Organisation
5.3.a) Subsidies
5.3.b) Protective Tariffs
4.4. Terms of Trade
5. Influence of the Industrial Countries on Zambia
5.1. Development Aid
5.1.a) Imapct of the Development Aid
5.1.a.i) Aid Tyings
5.2. Foreign Direct Investment
6. Conclusion
7. Reflexion
8. Bibliography
9. Schlusserklärung
10. Annex
May 30, 2008
I finished writing down all my points yesterday. Now I “just” have to compress and correct my term paper. Furthermore, I will use the rest of my time to make the formal things like the flyleaf and the closing statement.
June 2, 2008
The stuff mentioned here before occupys my time longer than expected.. Now it is nearly 10 pm. and the term paper is nowhere near done. I think I do not will get much sleep – like the day before. But that does no matter because that makes me working to capacity. I need that pressure to work well!
June 4, 2008
Yeehaa! I handed out my term paper yesterday. Now I am really curious which mark I will get for that. All in all, I am satisfied with my work but in some parts it is very purple I think. But in my opinion I had no other opportunity because it is inappropriate to write an economic topic dealing with such a sad content in a more exciting way. In return, the content itself is really worth reading.
June 9, 2008
In retrospect I can say that writing my term paper was a good experience because now I know what I can do better next time. Also I would have tried to cast off my pre-built opinion to make it easier for me to handle with my theme.
