must see potential and be able to acquire some compensation for their efforts. As a result
institutions are not willing to put forth their efforts on lower economic status individuals who
they feel have no chance at recovery. These are all presumptions that they may have and as a
result no effort is focused on the lower class. This affects how lower-class individuals see their
recovery because if no one else believes in them why should they believe in themselves. This
causes them to believe they are not worth help and just perpetuates their addiction.
Social inequality can be influenced by many things, but an important factor is individual
and institutional discrimination. Discrimination is the unjust treatment of a certain category of
people. Discrimination on an individual level can lead to social inequality because if a person is

2
treated unjust and looked at as a minority by another person they can start to believe that
themselves. Without the chance to prove themselves to someone they are automatically labeled
and put into a category. The media plays a huge role in institutional discrimination because it
determines how we perceive these minorities. It
helps to shape people’s perceptions and
expectations regarding particular groups. If there is this preconception about a certain person or
category of people then they are not given the same rights and chances to advance in society.

