📚 Year 9 SQA Sociology: Quick Vocabulary Memory Guide | Year 9 SQA 社会学词汇速记指南
This guide is designed to help Year 9 learners master key sociological terms for the SQA Sociology course. Each term is broken down with a clear English definition, a Chinese equivalent, and a memory tip that makes revision faster and more effective. Building a strong vocabulary is the first step towards tackling exam questions with confidence and understanding how society works.
本指南旨在帮助 Year 9 学生掌握 SQA 社会学课程中的关键术语。每个术语都配有清晰的英文定义、中文对照和记忆技巧，让复习更快速、更高效。建立扎实的词汇基础是自信应对考试题目、理解社会运作的第一步。
1. Foundational Concepts | 基础概念
Before diving into specific topics, it is essential to understand the building blocks of sociology. These terms describe the basic elements that make up any society and the shared patterns that shape human behaviour.
在深入学习具体主题之前，理解社会学的基石至关重要。以下术语描述了构成任何社会的基本要素以及塑造人类行为的共享模式。
| Term | English Definition | 中文定义 | Memory Tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Society | A group of people who share a defined territory and culture, and interact with one another. | 共享特定领土和文化并相互交往的一群人。 | Think of ‘society’ as a big team playing on the same field with the same rules. |
| Culture | The shared beliefs, values, customs, behaviours, and artefacts of a group of people. | 一群人共有的信仰、价值观、习俗、行为和器物。 | Culture is the ‘software’ of society – it programs how we think and act. |
| Norms | Unwritten rules of behaviour that are considered acceptable in a group or society. | 在群体或社会中被认为是可接受的行为的不成文规则。 | Norms are the ‘do this, don’t do that’ signs you never see but everyone follows. |
| Values | Collective ideas about what is good, desirable, and important in a society. | 关于在一个社会中什么是好的、可取的和重要的集体观念。 | Values are the compass; norms are the footsteps. |
| Socialisation | The lifelong process through which individuals learn the norms, values, and roles of their society. | 个体学习其社会规范、价值观和角色的终身过程。 | It turns a ‘human animal’ into a social being – think of learning the playbook of your culture. |
2. Socialisation | 社会化
Socialisation is not a one-off event; it continues throughout life and involves different agents and stages. Understanding these terms helps explain how we become who we are and how society reproduces itself.
社会化并非一次性事件；它贯穿一生，涉及不同的媒介和阶段。理解这些术语有助于解释我们如何成为现在的自己，以及社会如何自我复制。
| Term | English Definition | 中文定义 | Memory Tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary socialisation | The early childhood learning of basic norms and values, usually within the family. | 通常在家庭中进行的早期儿童基本规范和价值观的学习。 | Primary = first base. It’s where you learn to speak, eat and say ‘please’. |
| Secondary socialisation | The process of learning appropriate behaviour in wider society, through schools, peers and media. | 通过学校、同伴和媒体在更广泛社会中学习适当行为的过程。 | Secondary = second stage. It fine-tunes you for different roles outside home. |
| Agents of socialisation | The individuals, groups or institutions that carry out socialisation, such as family, school, peers and mass media. | 实施社会化的个人、群体或机构，如家庭、学校、同伴和大众媒体。 | Remember the ‘FSPM’ – Family, School, Peers, Media. |
| Peer group | A group of people of similar age and social status who share interests and influence each other’s behaviour. | 年龄和社会地位相似、有共同兴趣并相互影响行为的人群。 | Your peers are your ‘mirror’ – they reflect and shape your identity. |
| Gender socialisation | The learning of gender-specific roles and expectations through family, education and media. | 通过家庭、教育和媒体学习性别特定的角色和期望。 | Think of the ‘pink aisle’ and ‘blue aisle’ in toy shops – that’s gender socialisation in action. |
3. Social Stratification | 社会分层
Societies are rarely equal. Stratification explores how people are ranked in a hierarchy and how resources, power and status are distributed. These terms are vital for understanding inequality in all its forms.
社会很少是完全平等的。分层探讨人们如何在等级中被排序，以及资源、权力和地位如何分配。这些术语对于理解各种形式的不平等至关重要。
| Term | English Definition | 中文定义 | Memory Tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social class | A group of people sharing a similar economic position, often based on income, wealth and occupation. | 经济地位相似的一群人，通常基于收入、财富和职业。 | Class is like a ladder – some are born on higher rungs than others. |
| Status | The social prestige or respect attached to a particular position or group. | 与特定位置或群体相连的社会声望或尊重。 | Status is your ‘social credit score’ – it’s not about money but how others see you. |
| Power | The ability to make others do what you want, even against their will. | 让他人按照你的意愿行事的能力，即使违背其意志。 | Power is the remote control of society – whoever holds it can change the channel. |
| Social mobility | The movement of individuals or groups between different social positions. | 个人或群体在不同社会位置之间的移动。 | Think of an elevator in the class ladder – some go up, some go down. |
| Ascribed status | A social position fixed at birth or involuntarily acquired later, such as race or gender. | 出生时就已固定或后来非自愿获得的社会地位，如种族或性别。 | ‘A’ for automatic – you don’t choose it, it chooses you. |
| Achieved status | A social position earned through personal effort, skill or choice. | 通过个人努力、技能或选择而获得的社会地位。 | You ‘achieve’ it – think of a degree or a promotion. |
4. Family and Household | 家庭与住户
The family is a core institution in every society. This section covers the different forms families can take and the roles within them. Knowing these terms helps you analyse how family life is changing and why it matters.
家庭是每个社会的核心制度。本部分涵盖家庭可能采取的不同形式及其内部角色。了解这些术语有助于你分析家庭生活如何变化以及为何重要。
| Term | English Definition | 中文定义 | Memory Tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nuclear family | A family unit consisting of two parents and their dependent children. | 由双亲及其受抚养子女组成的家庭单位。 | Think of a ‘nucleus’ – small, tight core. |
| Extended family | A family that includes relatives beyond the nuclear family, such as grandparents, aunts and uncles, often living together. | 包括核心家庭以外亲属的家庭，如祖父母、姑姑和叔叔，通常共同居住。 | ‘Extended’ stretches out – picture a family tree with many branches under one roof. |
| Reconstituted family | A family formed when two partners bring children from previous relationships into a new household; also called a blended family. | 两个伴侣将前段关系中的子女带入新家庭形成的家庭；也称混合家庭。 | ‘Re-‘ means again – it’s a family put together again. |
| Lone-parent family | A family in which one parent cares for dependent children without a partner. | 一方家长在没有伴侣的情况下照顾受抚养子女的家庭。 | One captain steering the ship alone. |
| Domestic division of labour | The way tasks such as housework, childcare and paid work are divided between men and women in a household. | 家务、育儿和有偿工作在家庭男女成员之间的划分方式。 | Who does the washing up? That’s the domestic division of labour. |
| Symmetrical family | A family form in which roles and responsibilities are shared equally between partners. | 伴侣之间平等分担角色和责任的家庭形式。 | Symmetrical = mirror image. Both partners reflect the same duties. |
5. Education | 教育
Education does more than teach academic subjects. Sociologists see schools as places where norms are reinforced and inequality can be reproduced. These terms will help you grasp the hidden functions of schooling.
教育不仅教授学科知识。社会学家将学校视为强化规范、可能复制不平等的地方。这些术语将帮助你理解学校教育的隐性功能。
| Term | English Definition | 中文定义 | Memory Tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formal curriculum | The official, planned subjects and content taught in schools, such as maths and history. | 学校中教授的官方计划科目和内容，如数学和历史。 | What’s on your timetable – the visible part of learning. |
| Hidden curriculum | The unspoken, informal lessons learned at school, such as obedience, punctuality and competition. | 在学校里学到的非正式、不成文的课程，如服从、守时和竞争。 | It’s what you learn when you’re not looking – the ‘secret syllabus’. |
| Labelling | The process of attaching a definition or trait to a pupil, which can influence their self-esteem and achievement. | 给一个学生贴上某种定义或特质标签的过程，这会影响其自尊和成就。 | Teachers ‘label’ students – and the label can stick like glue. |
| Self-fulfilling prophecy | A prediction that comes true simply because it has been made; e.g. a pupil told they are ‘bright’ may work harder and succeed. | 一个预测仅仅因为被做出而变成现实；例如，被说“聪明”的学生可能更努力并成功。 | If you think you’ll fail, you might not try – and then you do fail. |
| Meritocracy | A system in which advancement is based on individual ability and achievement rather than social background. | 基于个人能力和成就而非社会背景进行提升的制度。 | ‘Merit’ = talent. In theory, the best players win. In practice, the playing field isn’t always level. |
6. Crime and Deviance | 犯罪与越轨
Not all rule-breaking is criminal, and not all crime is equally punished. The study of deviance sheds light on power, control and moral boundaries. These concepts are central to any sociological discussion of law and order.
并非所有违反规则的行为都是犯罪，也并非所有犯罪都受到同等惩罚。对越轨行为的研究揭示了权力、控制和道德边界。这些概念对于任何关于法律与秩序的社会学讨论都至关重要。
| Term | English Definition | 中文定义 | Memory Tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deviance | Behaviour that violates social norms, not always illegal. | 违反社会规范的行为，不一定是非法的。 | Imagine wearing pyjamas to a wedding – that’s deviance, not a crime. |
| Crime | An act that breaks the law and is punishable by the state. | 违反法律并可由国家惩罚的行为。 | Crime = lawbreaker. Police get involved. |
| Social control | The mechanisms, strategies and institutions used to regulate behaviour and maintain order. | 用于规范行为和维护秩序的机制、策略和制度。 | Think of it as society’s brakes – formal (police) and informal (parental disapproval). |
| Anomie | A state of normlessness where society’s rules have broken down, often leading to deviance (Durkheim). | 一种规范缺失的状态，社会规则崩溃，常常导致越轨行为（涂尔干）。 | ‘A-norm-ie’ – absence of norms. The rulebook is lost. |
| White-collar crime | Financially motivated, non-violent crime committed by individuals in professional occupations. | 由专业人士实施的、出于经济动机的非暴力犯罪。 | Criminals in suits, not on the street corner. |
7. Research Methods | 研究方法
Sociologists do not just guess – they gather evidence using specific methods. Understanding these terms is crucial for evaluating studies and designing your own research. This vocabulary lets you tell the difference between good and weak evidence.
社会学家并非凭空猜测——他们使用特定方法收集证据。理解这些术语对于评估研究和设计自己的调查至关重要。这些词汇让你能够区分有力证据和薄弱证据。
| Term | English Definition | 中文定义 | Memory Tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary data | Information collected first-hand by the researcher for a specific purpose, e.g. through interviews or questionnaires. | 研究人员为特定目的直接收集的信息，如通过访谈或问卷。 | Primary = you’re the first one there. Fresh data. |
| Secondary data | Information that already exists, collected by someone else, e.g. official statistics or historical records. | 已经存在的、由他人收集的信息，如官方统计或历史记录。 | Second-hand data – like reading a book someone else wrote. |
| Qualitative data | Non-numerical information that describes meanings, feelings or experiences, often in words. | 描述意义、感受或经验的非数值信息，通常以文字呈现。 | ‘Qual-‘ sounds like ‘quality’ – deep, rich detail. |
| Quantitative data | Numerical information that can be measured and analysed statistically. | 可以测量并进行统计分析的数值信息。 | ‘Quant-‘ = quantity – numbers and graphs. |
| Sampling | The process of selecting a small, representative group from a larger population to participate in research. | 从较大群体中选择一个小型、有代表性的群体参与研究的过程。 | You can’t interview everyone, so you take a ‘sample’. |
| Ethical considerations | Moral principles guiding research to protect participants, such as informed consent, confidentiality and avoidance of harm. | 指导研究以保护参与者的道德原则，如知情同意、保密和避免伤害。 | Research with a conscience – do no harm. |
8. Key Sociologists & Theories | 关键社会学家与理论
Sociological perspectives act like lenses that colour how we interpret the social world. Knowing the main thinkers and their big ideas will help you answer essay questions and link theory to everyday life. This final set of terms gives you a short-cut to the giants of sociology.
社会学视角就像透镜，为我们解释社会世界着色。了解主要思想家及其核心思想，将帮助你回答论文问题，并将理论与日常生活联系起来。这最后一组术语为你提供了一条通往社会学巨人的捷径。
| Term | English Definition | 中文定义 | Memory Tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Functionalism | A consensus theory that sees society as a system of interdependent parts working together to maintain stability; associated with Durkheim. | 一种共识理论，将社会视为相互依赖的各部分共同维护稳定的系统；与涂尔干相关。 | Society is like a human body – all organs work together. |
| Marxism | A conflict theory focusing on class struggle between the bourgeoisie (ruling class) and the proletariat (working class); associated with Karl Marx. | 一种冲突理论，关注资产阶级（统治阶级）和无产阶级（工人阶级）之间的阶级斗争；与卡尔·马克思相关。 | Rich vs poor, always in a tug-of-war. |
| Feminism | A perspective that examines gender inequality and advocates for women’s rights; it highlights patriarchy as a structure of male dominance. | 一种审视性别不平等并倡导女性权利的视角；强调父权制作为一种男性主导的结构。 | Focus on the power gap between men and women – who holds the remote? |
| Social action theory | A micro-level approach emphasising that individuals create and shape society through their everyday interactions; associated with Weber and symbolic interactionism. | 一种微观层面的方法，强调个体在日常互动中创造和塑造社会；与韦伯及符号互动论相关。 |
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