Analyze The Impact Of Your And Our Society's Prejudice ✓ Solved

Analyse the impact of your and our society's preju

Analyse the impact of your and our society's invisible prejudices and discrimination against visually-impaired persons and foreign migrant workers. Write a reflective essay of approximately 1400 words on your thoughts, supported by published reports of discrimination (newspapers, journals, or websites of local VWOs such as TWC2, Migrant Workers’ Centre (MWC), HOME, and others). Include your before-and-after experiences, explain how prejudice is learned, and discuss how society's discrimination worsens the disadvantages faced by these groups. Argue why we should change and how such change would benefit both the individuals and society. Use your own words throughout and include in-text citations for data and quotes. Supplements may include articles and reports from sources listed in the module.

Paper For Above Instructions

Introduction and context is essential to understanding the lived reality of two groups often rendered invisible in public discourses: the visually-impaired and foreign migrant workers in Singapore. Invisible prejudices—subtle assumptions about competence, independence, or worth—shape daily interactions, access to opportunities, and perceptions of belonging. When these prejudices intersect with systemic conditions that govern labor, health care, and public transport, they produce real consequences that extend beyond individual attitudes to communities and national development. This essay reflects on my evolving understanding of these dynamics, calling for ethically grounded change rooted in global ethical reasoning and local accountability. (Bhargava, 2006; Ahmad, 2013)

Before engaging with SAWI content and field experiences, my perspective often conflated sympathy with capability, assuming that visible impairment or migrant status equaled limitation rather than a social signal demanding accommodation. The module’s discussions and site visits—such as exposure to the everyday realities faced by foreign workers and the barriers encountered by visually-impaired people—challenged these initial assumptions. The learning process can be framed as a movement from implicit biases toward deliberate, informed reflection. (Bhargava, 2006; Newton, 1998)

Evidence from published reports helps connect personal reflections to broader social patterns. Channel NewsAsia (2016) documented cases where foreign workers were denied timely medical documentation after surgeries, signaling how profit-driven cost-cutting and fragmented oversight can undermine basic welfare. This aligns with my observations of cramped housing, long work hours, and precarious access to healthcare for migrant workers described by advocacy groups (MWC, HOME, and TWC2). Such reports illustrate how invisible prejudices—assumptions about labor worth or permissible risk—translate into concrete harms when institutional guards fail to protect marginalized workers. (Channel NewsAsia, 2016)

Similarly, The Straits Times (2017) highlighted rising concerns around sexually transmitted diseases among younger cohorts, a reminder that public health intersects with social vulnerability and stigma. While the article centers on health trends, it also underscores how social biases—about sexuality, migration status, and age—can influence risk perception, access to care, and resource allocation. These dynamics are not merely theoretical; they shape the lived experiences of workers and residents, including those who are visually impaired, many of whom rely on public services where equity remains inconsistent. (The Straits Times, 2017)

To ground reflection in theory, this essay draws on global ethics and virtue-based frameworks that challenge individuals and societies to treat others as ends in themselves. Bhargava’s introduction to global issues emphasizes the significance of global citizenship and ethical responsibilities beyond narrow self-interest (Bhargava, 2006). Ahmad argues for a global ethics that binds universal principles with local responsibilities, urging societies to cultivate moral commitments that respect the dignity of all persons (Ahmad, 2013). Gong and Zhang’s discussion of virtue ethics invites a return to moral resources that resist modern evils and support communal flourishing in a globalized context (Gong & Zhang, 2010). Hill further develops the cosmopolitan dimension of ethics, arguing for duties that transcend local loyalties to address shared human concerns (Hill, 2015). These theoretical anchors help me reframe prejudice as a moral problem with systemic remedies rather than a private failing to be managed privately. (Bhargava, 2006; Ahmad, 2013; Gong & Zhang, 2010; Hill, 2015)

Reflections on personal change center on recognizing how prejudices form and how discourse actively reinforces or unsettles them. Learning about exploitation and modern-day slavery in Singapore’s context—illustrated by the experiences of foreign workers and the lived conditions in high-density housing—reveals the moral cost of ignoring inequality. The small acts of daily life—assumptions about productivity, communication barriers for visually-impaired individuals, or the reliability of migrant workers—contribute to a broader system that can dehumanize vulnerable groups unless checked by ethical commitments, policy safeguards, and public accountability. Newton’s analysis of good and evil and how reasoned decision-making can mitigate harm offers practical guidance for approaching ethical dilemmas in contemporary workplace and social settings (Newton, 1998). (Newton, 1998)

Policy implications emerge from integrating personal reflection with evidence. If society acknowledges the intrinsic value of every person regardless of impairment or migrant status, then policies should prioritize accessible public spaces, inclusive transport, fair labor standards, and robust healthcare access. Organizations such as TWC2, MWC, and HOME have long argued for transparent enforcement of labor protections, wage fairness, and employer accountability. Strengthening these mechanisms would reduce the incentives for exploitation and counteract the subtle biases that normalize poor treatment. In this sense, ethical reform is not merely about sentiment but about concrete, accountable actions that align with global ethical principles and local obligations (TWC2; MWC; HOME; CNA, 2016). (TWC2; MWC; HOME; Channel NewsAsia, 2016)

Ultimately, the essay argues that change is both necessary and beneficial. When society commits to equitable access to healthcare, education, and dignified work for visually-impaired people and migrant workers, it expands social solidarity and economic resilience. Inclusion improves innovation (as diverse perspectives contribute to problem-solving) and strengthens social cohesion, reducing the long-term costs associated with discrimination, prejudice, and social exclusion. The obligation to change is grounded in the idea that individuals, institutions, and governments share responsibility for the welfare of all members of the community, a stance reinforced by global ethical thought. As students, practitioners, and citizens, we must move from recognizing invisible prejudices to actively dismantling them through education, policy reform, and ethical leadership. (Ahmad, 2013; Bhargava, 2006; Gong & Zhang, 2010; Hill, 2015)

Conclusion: addressing invisible prejudices requires a dual strategy of personal transformation and structural reform. By amplifying the voices of visually-impaired individuals and migrant workers, improving access to services, and enforcing fair labor practices, Singapore can model a more principled approach to diversity in a globalized economy. The ethical arguments outlined above—grounded in global ethics, virtue theory, and practical evidence—offer a coherent framework for ongoing action. The goal is not merely to condemn injustice but to build a more inclusive society that recognizes and sustains the dignity of every person. (The Straits Times, 2017; CNA, 2016; TWC2; MWC; HOME)

References

  • Bhargava, V. K. (2006). Introduction to global issues. In V. K. Bhargava (Ed.), Global issues for global citizens: An introduction to key development challenges (pp. 1–22). Retrieved from Ebook Central.
  • Ahmad, A. (2013). A global ethics for a globalized world. Policy Perspectives, 10(1), 63–77.
  • Gong, Q., & Zhang, L. (2010). Virtue ethics and modern society–A response to the thesis of the modern predicament of virtue ethics. Frontiers of Philosophy in China, 5(2).
  • Hill, L. (2015). Classical stoicism and the birth of a global ethics: Cosmopolitan duties in a world of local loyalties. Social Alternatives, 1, 14.
  • Newton, L. (1998). Doing good and avoiding evil. Hale Chair in Applied Ethics.
  • Jwood00. (2017, December 18). Responsibilities of an educated person (Blog post). Retrieved from external site.
  • Channel NewsAsia. (2016). Foreign workers in Singapore: Medical care and documentation issues. CNA News Article.
  • The Straits Times. (2017). Sexually transmitted diseases rising among younger Singaporeans. The Straits Times.
  • The Worker's Centre (TWC2). (n.d.). About TWC2 and workers' rights. Retrieved from TWC2 website.
  • Migrant Workers’ Centre (MWC). (n.d.). About MWC and migrant worker welfare. Retrieved from MWC website.
  • HOME (Humanitarian Organisation for Migrant Economics). (n.d.). Our work and reports. Retrieved from HOME website.

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