"I'm stuck in Folsom Prison, And time keeps draggin' on"

I found myself thinking about sociology when our class took a trip to the county courts and jail.  The first thing I noticed was how many symbols there were.  Symbols have a meaning that is mutually understood by a society.  Clothing is a major symbol at the courts and jail.  It is understood that anybody in a bright orange jumpsuit is an inmate, anybody in black robes is a judge, and any body with a badge and weapon belt is a type of officer.  Clothing is important at the courts and jail because it provides people with a way of knowing who should be respected and who should be feared. 

The second sociology topic I thought about was Social Darwinism.  This theory would have an interesting way of explaining why most people who go to jail once end up back in jail again.  Social Darwinism would say that while some people are just born to be successful, others are just born to fail and will continue to fail their entire life with no chance of ever becoming successful.