Year 13 OCR Sociology: Quick Revision Guide to Key Terms and Concepts

📚 Year 13 OCR Sociology: Quick Revision Guide to Key Terms and Concepts | 关键术语速记指南

Mastering the terminology in A‑level Sociology is half the battle. This guide breaks down the most essential concepts for OCR Year 13, pairing each English term with a clear Chinese explanation and a memorisation hook. Read on to build a solid mental framework for essays and exams.

掌握 A‑level 社会学词汇是成功的一半。本文拆解了 OCR 13 年级最核心的概念，为每个英文术语配上清晰的中文解释和速记口诀，助你建立扎实的知识框架，从容应对论文与考试。

1. Theoretical Perspectives | 核心理论视角

The main theoretical lenses through which sociologists analyse society. Remember them as F‑M‑F‑I‑P: Functionalism, Marxism, Feminism, Interactionism, Postmodernism.

社会学家分析社会的主要理论视角。用 F‑M‑F‑I‑P 记忆：功能主义、马克思主义、女性主义、互动论、后现代主义。

Functionalism – society as a stable system of interconnected parts, like an organism.
功能主义 – 把社会看作一个由相互关联的部分组成的稳定系统，如同一个有机体。
Marxism – conflict between the bourgeoisie (ruling class) and proletariat (working class) drives change.
马克思主义 – 资产阶级（统治阶级）与无产阶级（工人阶级）之间的冲突推动社会变迁。
Feminism – gender inequality is central to social order; patriarchy benefits men.
女性主义 – 性别不平等是社会秩序的核心；父权制度使男性受益。
Interactionism – micro‑level focus on how individuals create meaning through interactions (labelling, symbolic meanings).
互动论 – 微观层面，关注个体如何通过互动创造意义（如标签、符号意义）。
Postmodernism – rejects grand narratives; emphasises fragmentation, consumer culture, and identity as fluid.
后现代主义 – 拒绝宏大叙事；强调碎片化、消费文化以及身份的流动性。

2. Socialisation and Culture | 社会化与文化

Socialisation is the lifelong process of learning norms, values, and roles. Culture is the ‘way of life’ of a society.

社会化是终身学习规范、价值观与角色的过程。文化是社会的“生活方式”。

Primary socialisation – early learning within the family (0‑5 years), shaping basic values.
初级社会化 – 在家庭中的早期学习（0‑5 岁），塑造基本价值观。
Secondary socialisation – later learning through school, media, peers, workplace.
次级社会化 – 之后通过学校、媒体、同伴、职场进行的学习。
Norms – unwritten rules of behaviour (e.g., queuing).
规范 – 不成文的行为规则（如排队）。
Values – deeply held beliefs about what is right/wrong (e.g., honesty).
价值观 – 关于是非对错的深层信念（如诚实）。
Subculture – a group whose norms/values differ from mainstream culture, e.g., punk.
亚文化 – 规范/价值观不同于主流文化的群体，如朋克。
Cultural capital (Bourdieu) – non‑economic assets such as education, speech, taste that give advantage.
文化资本（布迪厄）– 教育、谈吐、品味等非经济资产，带来优势。

3. Social Stratification | 社会分层

Stratification is the ranking of individuals based on wealth, power, and prestige. In OCR, focus on class, gender, and ethnicity as key axes of inequality.

分层是根据财富、权力和声望对个体进行的排列。OCR 中重点关注阶级、性别与种族等不平等的主要轴线。

Social class – a group sharing similar economic position; Weber added status and party.
社会阶级 – 经济地位相似的群体；韦伯补充了身份与政党。
Life chances (Weber) – the opportunities an individual has to access resources, shaped by class.
生活机会（韦伯）– 个体获取资源的机会，由阶级塑造。
Meritocracy – a system where rewards are based on ability and effort, not birth (criticised by Marxists).
精英统治/贤能主义 – 奖励基于能力与努力而非出身的制度（受马克思主义者批判）。
Glass ceiling – invisible barrier preventing women/minorities reaching top positions.
玻璃天花板 – 阻碍女性和少数族裔升至高层的无形障碍。
Ethnic penalty – discrimination in employment, housing, education linked to ethnicity.
种族惩罚 – 与种族相关的就业、住房、教育歧视。

4. Research Methods | 研究方法

Methods are the tools sociologists use to gather data. Distinguish between quantitative (numbers) and qualitative (words, meanings) approaches.

方法是社会学家收集数据的工具。区分定量（数字）与定性（文字、意义）方法。

Method 方法	Type 类型	Strength 优点
Questionnaire 问卷	Quantitative	Large sample, reliable, quick
Interview 访谈	Qualitative / Structured (quant)	In‑depth insight, flexibility
Observation 观察	Qualitative	Natural setting, high validity
Official statistics 官方统计	Quantitative	Free, representative, easy comparison

Triangulation – using multiple methods to cross‑check findings, increasing validity.
三角互证法 – 使用多种方法交叉核对发现，提高效度。
Operationalisation – defining concepts in measurable terms (e.g., ‘class’ via income).
操作化 – 将概念转化为可测量的形式（如用收入定义“阶级”）。
Ethics: informed consent, confidentiality, avoidance of harm – BSA guidelines.
伦理：知情同意、保密、避免伤害——遵循英国社会学协会指南。

5. Education | 教育社会学

Key debates: does education promote meritocracy or reproduce inequality?

核心争论：教育是促进贤能主义还是再生产不平等？

Hidden curriculum – the informal lessons (obedience, competition) taught alongside formal content.
隐性课程 – 与正式内容并行的非正式教导（服从、竞争）。
Cultural deprivation – lack of appropriate values, language, attitudes (e.g., working‑class speech codes – Bernstein).
文化剥夺 – 缺乏适当的价值观、语言和态度（如工人阶级言语代码——伯恩斯坦）。
Material deprivation – lack of resources (housing, money for books) affecting attainment.
物质剥夺 – 资源匮乏（住房、书籍费用）影响学业成绩。
Labelling (Becker) – teachers attach labels to pupils (e.g., ‘bright’, ‘troublemaker’), which become self‑fulfilling prophecies.
标签理论（贝克尔）– 教师给学生贴标签（如“聪明”、“捣蛋鬼”），成为自证预言。
Counter‑school culture (Willis) – working‑class ‘lads’ reject school values, preparing them for manual labour.
反学校文化（威利斯）– 工人阶级“小子”排斥学校价值观，为体力劳动做准备。

6. Crime and Deviance | 犯罪与越轨

Deviance is behaviour that breaks norms; crime breaks laws. Sociologists ask: why do people deviate, and who gets labelled as criminal?

越轨是违反规范的行为；犯罪是触犯法律。社会学家思考：人们为何越轨，谁被贴上罪犯标签？

Anomie (Durkheim) – normlessness during rapid social change, leading to deviance.
失范（涂尔干）– 社会急剧变迁时的规范缺失，导致越轨。
Strain theory (Merton) – when culturally approved goals (e.g., wealth) cannot be met by legitimate means, people adapt through innovation, ritualism, retreatism, rebellion.
压力理论（默顿）– 当文化认可的目标（如财富）无法通过合法手段实现时，人们通过创新、仪式主义、逃避、反叛来适应。
Labelling theory (Becker) – an act is deviant only when labelled so; focus on reaction, not act.
标签理论（贝克尔）– 只有被贴上越轨标签的行为才算越轨；关注反应而非行为本身。
Primary deviance – initial rule‑breaking that does not affect self‑identity. Secondary deviance – when an individual internalises the deviant label.
初级越轨 – 不影响自我认同的初次违规。次级越轨 – 个体内化了越轨标签。
White‑collar crime (Sutherland) – crime committed by middle/upper class in their occupation (e.g., fraud).
白领犯罪（萨瑟兰）– 中上阶层在职业中实施的犯罪（如欺诈）。
Moral panic (Cohen) – exaggerated media reaction to a group/event, creating folk devils.
道德恐慌（科恩）– 媒体对某个群体/事件的夸大反应，制造“民间恶魔”。

7. Family and Households | 家庭与住户

Family structures have changed; understand key concepts from the nuclear family to postmodern diversity.

家庭结构已改变；理解从核心家庭到后现代多样性的关键概念。

Nuclear family – two adults and their children living together (traditional ideal).
核心家庭 – 一对夫妇及其子女共同生活（传统理想）。
Extended family – relatives beyond the nuclear unit, vertical (grandparents) or horizontal (uncles).
扩展家庭 – 核心单元之外的亲属，垂直（祖父母）或水平（叔伯）。
Symmetrical family (Young and Willmott) – spouses share domestic roles more equally; increasingly common.
对称家庭（扬与威尔莫特）– 配偶更平等地分担家务角色；日渐普遍。
Beanpole family – multiple generations alive but with few members per generation (due to low fertility and higher life expectancy).
豆杆家庭 – 多代同堂但每代人数少（低生育率和高预期寿命所致）。
Co‑habitation – living together as a couple without marriage.
同居 – 未结婚而以伴侣身份共同生活。
Divorce and separation – consider changes in law, attitudes, and rising expectations.
离婚与分居 – 考虑法律、态度变化及期望提高的影响。

8. Religion, Belief and Society | 宗教、信仰与社会

Religion can be a force for social cohesion or conflict. Focus on secularisation, fundamentalism, and the role of religion in a globalised world.

宗教可以是社会凝聚或冲突的力量。聚焦世俗化、原教旨主义以及宗教在全球化世界中的角色。

Secularisation – decline in religious belief and participation; measured by attendance, affiliation, influence.
世俗化 – 宗教信仰与参与的衰落；以参与人数、归属和影响力衡量。
Fundamentalism – a return to literal interpretation of sacred texts, often in response to rapid change.
原教旨主义 – 回归对圣典的字面解释，常因急剧变革而生。
Civil religion (Bellah) – a set of beliefs that unite a nation (e.g., American Dream).
公民宗教（贝拉）– 团结一个民族的信念体系（如美国梦）。
Religious pluralism – coexistence of multiple faiths in one society.
宗教多元主义 – 一个社会中多种信仰并存。
New Age movements – individualistic, spiritual but not necessarily organised religion; reflect postmodern pick‑and‑mix identity.
新时代运动 – 个人化、灵性但不一定有组织的宗教；体现后现代拼盘式身份。

9. Media Sociology | 媒体社会学

Media shapes public opinion and identity. Key theories cover ownership, representation, and effects.

媒体塑造公众舆论与身份认同。核心理论涉及所有权、再现及影响。

Agenda‑setting – media doesn’t tell us what to think, but what to think about.
议程设置 – 媒体不告诉人们如何思考，但告诉人们思考什么。
Moral panic (Cohen) – again, media amplification of deviance creates fear and control.
道德恐慌（科恩）– 再次提及，媒体对越轨的放大制造恐惧与控制。
Hyper‑reality (Baudrillard) – media images become more real than reality itself (simulacra).
超真实（鲍德里亚）– 媒体影像变得比真实更真实（拟像）。
Cultural imperialism – Western media exports dominate global culture, potentially eroding local cultures.
文化帝国主义 – 西方媒体出口主导全球文化，可能侵蚀本土文化。
Digital divide – inequality in access to internet and digital skills, linked to class, age, region.
数字鸿沟 – 互联网接入和数字技能的不平等，与阶级、年龄、地区相关。

10. Globalisation and Development | 全球化与发展

Globalisation refers to the increasing interconnectedness of societies. Development explores why some countries are rich while others remain poor.

全球化指社会之间日益增强的相互联系。发展议题探讨为何一些国家富裕而另一些仍贫困。

Globalisation – economic, political, cultural flows across borders, accelerated by technology.
全球化 – 经济、政治、文化跨境流动，科技加速此过程。
Dependency theory (Frank) – rich ‘core’ nations exploit poor ‘periphery’ nations, keeping them underdeveloped.
依赖理论（弗兰克）– 富裕“核心”国家剥削贫穷“边陲”国家，使其欠发达。
Neo‑liberalism – free markets, privatisation, reduced state intervention; criticised for widening inequality.
新自由主义 – 自由市场、私有化、减少国家干预；被批加剧不平等。
Sustainable development – meeting present needs without compromising future generations.
可持续发展 – 满足当代需求而不损害后代。
Cultural hybridity – mixing of global and local cultures, creating new forms (e.g., Bollywood hip‑hop).
文化杂合 – 全球与本土文化混合，产生新形式（如宝莱坞嘻哈）。

11. Power, Politics and the State | 权力、政治与国家

Understand how power is distributed and legitimated. Key terms: authority, democracy, and the role of the state.

理解权力如何分配与合法化。关键术语：权威、民主与国家的角色。

Power (Weber) – the ability to achieve one’s will despite resistance.
权力（韦伯）– 尽管有抵抗也能实现自己意志的能力。
Authority – legitimate power; Weber’s types: traditional, charismatic, legal‑rational.
权威 – 合法化的权力；韦伯的类型：传统型、魅力型、法理型。
Nation‑state – a political unit with defined borders, sovereignty, and a permanent population.
民族国家 – 拥有既定边界、主权和常住人口的政治单位。
Welfare state – a system where the state protects citizens from the risks of unemployment, sickness, old age.
福利国家 – 国家保护公民免受失业、疾病、老年风险的系统。
Citizenship (Marshall) – civil, political, and social rights; social rights include welfare.
公民身份（马歇尔）– 民事、政治与社会权利；社会权利包含福利。

12. Memory Hacks for Sociology Terms | 社会学术语速记技巧

Pair acronyms with visual images to recall complex theories quickly. Here are three proven mnemonics for the exam hall.

将首字母缩写与视觉图像配对，快速回想复杂理论。以下是经考场检验的三个记忆法。

FM RIP for perspectives: Functionalism, Marxism, feMinism, Realism/Interactionism, Postmodernism. Imagine a funeral (RIP) of old theories.
FM RIP 记忆理论视角：Functionalism、Marxism、feMinism、Realism/Interactionism、Postmodernism。想象一场旧理论的葬礼（RIP）。
CLASS GEM for stratification factors: Class, laLlys? (No: Life chances), Age, Sex/gender, Sexuality – then Gender, Ethnicity, Media/age. Re‑work it to fit your recall.
CLASS GEM 分层因素：Class（阶级）、Life chances（生活机会）、Age（年龄）、Sex（性别）、Sexuality（性取向）—加上 Gender、Ethnicity、Media。调整至适合自己。
PENIS for Education inequality: Parental attitudes, Economic / material, Norms (cultural deprivation), In‑school factors (labelling), Streaming. (Use with caution, but unforgettable.)
PENIS 记忆教育不平等：Parental attitudes（家长态度）、Economic（经济/物质）、Norms（文化剥夺中的规范）、In‑school factors（校内因素）、Streaming（分轨）。(慎用，但过目不忘。)

Revise actively: write each term on a flashcard with the English on one side and Chinese on the other. Test yourself by recalling the theory, the researcher, and a supporting example.

主动复习：将每个术语写在抽认卡上，一面英文一面中文。测试自己能否回想起理论、研究者以及一个支持性例子。

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Year 13 OCR Sociology: Quick Revision Guide to Key Terms and Concepts | 关键术语速记指南