Module 2b —
Report Writing
| Course Guide | Module 1 | Module 2a | Module 2b |
Activity 6: Evaluating a conclusion
In this activity, you will analyse a conclusion from a chapter in a report from the International Labour Conference, Towards a fair deal for migrant workers in the global economy (2004). The 210 page report is well organized into chapters, each of which is structured like a smaller report with an introduction, body, and conclusion.
The outline headings are provided in the example to show you the scope of the chapter.
Read the conclusion and then answer the questions that follow. You can check your answers with the suggested answers.
2.4. Preliminary conclusions 122. We live in an age of global migration, with more migrants moving in more ways to more countries than ever before. As in the past, this migration is mostly beneficial for the migrants that move, the countries that welcome them, and the countries they leave. The challenge is to manage the migration that is occurring in a way that maximizes benefits for all parties involved. 123. Origin countries have begun to recognize that their nationals abroad can be an important source of finance for development, as their remittances can cover family living expenses as well as investment for job creation. Migrants who return or circulate between sending and receiving countries can also be an important source of new technologies and ideas. When recruitment, remittances, and returns come together in a virtuous circle, as in the Indian IT sector, the result can be an important new export industry that also benefits those who did not migrate. 124. The ambition and drive that motivates people to migrate generally helps migrants in many countries to find jobs, work hard, and benefit both themselves and host country nationals. In most cases, migrants have only slight negative effects on the wages of nationals, and they usually pay more in taxes than they receive in tax-supported services. There is also little evidence that migration leads to much displacement of nationals in employment. 125. Finally, demographic trends in some regions suggest that immigration will be an important component of a long-term solution to the anticipated problems raised by ageing. Along with raising labour productivity and increasing labour force participation - especially among older workers - countries will need to consider more immigration if a decline in levels of welfare is to be avoided. Promoting consensus on these long-term issues is clearly the task of responsible political leadership, since immigration always imposes social adaptation which must be supported by appropriate public policy. |
Questions about the conclusion
Question |
Answer |
|---|---|
What is the statement of purpose in this report? As a result of reading this report, the reader will know… |
As a result of reading this report, the reader will know the impacts of migration on both the countries of origin and the destination countries. |
Paragraph 124 refers specifically to what part(s) of the outline? |
2.3. Impact of immigration on (a) Impact on employment and |
Which sentence in paragraph 125 represents a finding from the report on which the writer can base his or her conclusions? |
Finally, demographic trends in some regions suggest that immigration will be an important component of a long-term solution to the anticipated problems raised by ageing. The subsequent two sentences in this paragraph are more conclusive, moving beyond the finding itself. They approach the force of recommendations but are not precise enough to be considered recommendations. |
Does paragraph 123 consider positive and negative impacts of migration on the country of origin? |
No, only positive. The paragraph tends to dwell on the positive aspects while the outline suggests a more balanced approach. This could be simply be a case of the findings being largely positive. You would have to review the actual content of the chapter itself to make a more accurate assessment. |