📚 Pre-U Edexcel Sociology: Key Terms Memory Guide | Pre-U Edexcel 社会学：词汇术语速记指南
This article provides a structured bilingual guide to essential sociological terminology for Pre-U Edexcel Sociology. Each key term is presented with a clear definition in English, followed by its Chinese translation and a memorable association, helping you internalise concepts for essays and exams. The terms are grouped by core topic areas so you can revise systematically and build strong analytical vocabulary.
本文为Pre-U Edexcel社会学考生提供结构化的核心术语双语速记指南。每个关键术语先给出英文清晰定义，再辅以中文释义和巧记联想，帮助你内化概念，从容应对论文与考试。术语按照核心主题分组，便于你系统复习，扎实积累分析性词汇。
1. Socialisation and Culture | 社会化与文化
Primary socialisation is the initial process of learning the basic norms, values and language of society, predominantly within the family. To recall this, link ‘primary’ to ‘parents’ — the first agents who shape your worldview.
初级社会化是学习社会基本规范、价值观和语言的初始过程，主要在家庭中完成。记忆方法：将“初级”与“父母”联系起来——他们是你世界观的第一任塑造者。
Secondary socialisation refers to the lifelong process through which individuals learn appropriate behaviour in wider society, such as at school, through media and in peer groups. Think of it as what happens after ‘first schooling’ at home.
次级社会化指个体在更广泛的社会中学习得体行为的终身过程，发生在学校、媒体和同辈群体中。你可以把它想象成在家庭这个“第一课堂”之后的延伸学习。
Norms are unwritten rules that define acceptable behaviour in specific situations. The word ‘norm’ shares its root with ‘normal’, so norms are simply what a group considers ordinary and expected.
规范是界定特定情境中可接受行为的非书面规则。“norm”一词与“normal”（正常的）同根，因此规范就是群体认为习以为常、理应如此的行为。
Values are deeply held beliefs about what is desirable and worth striving for, such as honesty or equality. Memory tip: ‘value’ sounds like ‘valued’ — these are the ideals a society prizes most.
价值观是关于何为可取、值得追求的重大信念，如诚实、平等。记忆技巧：“values”（价值观）与“valued”（被珍视的）发音相近，暗示这些正是一个社会最珍视的理想。
2. Social Stratification and Inequality | 社会分层与不平等
Social stratification describes the hierarchical arrangement of individuals and groups in society based on factors like class, status and power. Visualise a layered cake — people in higher tiers enjoy more resources and opportunities.
社会分层描述了基于阶级、地位和权力等因素，个体和群体在社会中形成的等级式排列。可以想象成一块千层蛋糕——处于上层的人享有更多资源和机会。
Life chances is a concept from Max Weber, referring to the opportunities each individual has to improve their quality of life and achieve success. Remember: ‘chances’ are not equally distributed; they are shaped by one’s class position.
生活机会是马克斯·韦伯提出的概念，指个体改善生活质量和获取成功的机会。请记住：“机会”并非均等，它由个人的阶级地位所塑造。
Meritocracy is a system in which rewards and positions are allocated solely on the basis of individual talent and effort. To spot its myth, think: in a true meritocracy, only hard work would matter — but social background consistently interferes.
精英体制是一种仅凭个人天赋和努力来分配回报与职位的制度。要想看穿其神话，可以这样想：在真正的精英体制中，只有勤奋才管用——然而社会背景总是持续干扰。
Cultural capital, coined by Pierre Bourdieu, consists of non-economic assets like educational credentials, tastes and language skills that can provide social advantage. Imagine cultural capital as a hidden currency you inherit from your family, spendable in the field of education.
文化资本是皮埃尔·布迪厄提出的概念，指学历、品味和语言技能等可以提供社会优势的非经济资产。把文化资本想象成从家庭继承的隐形货币，可在教育领域“消费”。
Bourgeoisie is the Marxist term for the class that owns the means of production. Pronounce ‘boo-zhwa-zee’ and picture a factory owner: ‘Bourgeoisie buys businesses’.
资产阶级是马克思主义术语，指拥有生产资料的那个阶级。发音近似“布/尔/乔/亚”，可联想工厂主形象：“Bourgeoisie buys businesses（资产阶级购置产业）”。
3. Families and Households | 家庭与住户
A nuclear family consists of two generations — parents and their dependent children — living in the same household. Think of the ‘nucleus’ as the core unit, like an atom’s centre around which everything revolves.
核心家庭由两代人——父母及其受抚养子女——共同居住组成。将“nucleus”（原子核）联想为核心单元，就像原子中心一样，一切围绕它运转。
Extended family refers to a family structure that includes relatives beyond the nuclear family, such as grandparents, aunts and uncles, often residing nearby or together. Remember: it ‘extends’ beyond the immediate parents and children.
扩展家庭指包含核心家庭以外亲属的家庭结构，如祖父母、叔伯姨婶，常居住在附近或共居。牢记：它在直系父母与子女的基础上向外“扩展”。
Conjugal roles are the domestic tasks and responsibilities divided between husbands and wives. Elizabeth Bott distinguished segregated roles (separate tasks) from joint roles (shared tasks). Associate ‘conjugal’ with ‘conjoined’ — two people joining their lives.
夫妻角色指丈夫与妻子之间划分的家务任务与责任。伊丽莎白·博特区分了隔离型角色（任务分开）与联合型角色（任务共享）。可将“conjugal”与“conjoined”（联结的）联系起来——两个人结合了生活。
Patriarchy describes a social system in which men hold primary power and dominate roles of political leadership, moral authority and control of property. The Greek root ‘patr-‘ means father; think of a patriarchal family tree rooted in male authority.
父权制指男性掌握主要权力并主导政治领导、道德权威和财产控制的社会制度。希腊词根“patr-”意为父亲；可以想象一棵扎根于男性权威的父权家族树。
4. Education | 教育
The hidden curriculum is the informal and often unintended lessons taught in schools, such as punctuality, obedience and competition. It is ‘hidden’ because it is not part of the official syllabus but is silently reinforced through routines.
隐性课程是学校中非正式的、常属无意间传授的内容，如守时、服从与竞争。之所以叫“隐性”，是因为它不在正式教学大纲中，而是通过日常惯例默默地被强化。
Labelling theory, developed by interactionists, explains how teachers attach labels to students based on perceived ability or behaviour, and how these labels become self-fulfilling prophecies. Think of a sticky label on a jar — once stuck, it is hard to shake off.
标签理论由互动论者发展而来，解释教师如何根据对学生能力和行为的印象贴上标签，而这些标签会变成自我实现的预言。想象罐子上黏黏的标签——一旦贴上去，就很难甩掉。
Self-fulfilling prophecy occurs when a false definition of a situation elicits behaviour that makes the original false definition come true. If a teacher repeatedly tells a pupil they are gifted, the pupil may start acting accordingly. Memory aid: prophecy that fulfils itself.
自我实现的预言指一个对情境的错误定义引发了使该定义成真的行为。如果一位教师反复告诉学生他们很有天赋，该学生可能真的开始表现优异。记忆辅助：预言自己实现了自己。
Cultural deprivation theory argues that working-class children lack the cultural resources — such as language, attitudes and knowledge — valued by the education system. Picture an empty cultural backpack that middle-class children already carry filled with books and museum passes.
文化剥夺理论认为，工人阶级子女缺乏教育系统所珍视的文化资源，如语言、态度和知识。想象一个空的文化背包，而中产阶层的孩子早已背着装满书籍和博物馆通行证的背包。
5. Crime and Deviance | 犯罪与越轨行为
Deviance refers to any behaviour that violates social norms, whether it is criminal or not. All crimes are deviant, but not all deviance is criminal — think of a punk hairstyle. The root ‘de-‘ means away from; deviance is ‘straying from’ the norm.
越轨行为指任何违反社会规范的行为，不论是否触犯法律。所有犯罪行为都是越轨，但并非所有越轨都是犯罪——想想朋克发型。词根“de-”意为偏离；越轨即“偏离”规范。
Anomie, introduced by Émile Durkheim, is a state of normlessness that occurs when society fails to regulate individuals’ aspirations, often during rapid social change. Remember: ‘a-‘ without + ‘nomos’ law = without law or norms.
失范是涂尔干提出的概念，指当社会无法约束个体抱负时出现的失范状态，通常发生在社会急剧变迁时期。记住：’a-‘表否定，’nomos’指法律，合起来即没有法律或规范。
Moral panic is a term popularised by Stanley Cohen, describing an exaggerated public reaction to a condition, person or group defined as a threat to societal values. The media often amplify the panic. Visualise a crowd panicking over a ‘folk devil’ portrayed on front pages.
道德恐慌是斯坦利·科恩推广的术语，形容公众对被视为威胁社会价值观的状况、人物或群体作出的夸大反应。媒体常放大这种恐慌。想象一群人因头版塑造的“民间恶魔”而集体恐慌。
White-collar crime, coined by Edwin Sutherland, refers to non-violent crimes committed by individuals of high social status during the course of their occupation, such as fraud or embezzlement. The image is a suited professional in a corporate office, committing crime with a pen rather than a weapon.
白领犯罪是埃德温·萨瑟兰提出的术语，指高社会地位者在职业活动中实施的非暴力犯罪，如欺诈或挪用公款。情景想象：一位西装革履的专业人士在办公室里，用笔而非武器实施犯罪。
6. Religion, Belief and Society | 宗教、信仰与社会
Sacred refers to things set apart and forbidden, inspiring awe and reverence, while profane describes ordinary, everyday elements of life. Durkheim used this distinction to define religion. Link ‘sacred’ to ‘sacrifice’ — what is sacred is protected from ordinary use.
神圣指被分隔开来、禁止亵渎并唤起敬畏与尊崇的事物，而世俗指生命中日常普通的成分。涂尔干用这一区分来界定宗教。可将“sacred”与“sacrifice”（献祭）联系起来——神圣之物受到保护，不供日常使用。
Secularisation is the process by which religious beliefs, practices and institutions lose social significance. Think of ‘secular’ as ‘non-religious’ and note the suffix ‘-isation’ signals a long-term transformation, like a receding tide of faith.
世俗化是宗教信仰、实践和制度逐渐丧失社会影响力的过程。将“secular”理解为“非宗教的”，并注意后缀“-isation”表示长期变革，就像信仰的潮水逐渐退去。
Religious fundamentalism is a movement that advocates a literal interpretation of sacred texts and a return to what its followers see as core principles. Often it emerges as a defensive reaction to modernity. Memory aid: ‘fundamentals’ plus ‘extremism’.
宗教原教旨主义是一种倡导对神圣文本进行字面解读并回归信徒眼中核心原则的运动。它常常作为对现代性的防御性反应而兴起。记忆辅助：“fundamentals”（基本原则）加上“extremism”（极端主义）。
Civil religion is a belief system that attaches sacred qualities to a nation or its symbols without being tied to a specific supernatural doctrine — think of flag ceremonies and national anthems. Picture a ‘religion’ of citizenship, uniting people through shared national rituals.
公民宗教是一种将神圣品质赋予国家或其符号的信仰体系，不依附于特定的超自然教义——想想国旗仪式和国歌。把这种“宗教”想象为公民身份的信仰，通过共享的国家仪式团结民众。
7. Media and Society | 媒体与社会
Agenda-setting is a media theory stating that the press does not tell people what to think, but what to think about. By repeatedly covering certain issues, the media set the public agenda. Think of a newspaper literally laying out an ‘agenda’ for daily conversation.
议程设置是一种媒体理论，认为媒体不会告诉人们怎么想，但会告诉人们想什么。通过反复报道某些议题，媒体设定了公众的议程。想象一份报纸真的为日常对话“安排好了议程”。
Hyperreality, coined by Jean Baudrillard, describes a condition in which simulations and images become more real than reality itself, making the boundary between truth and fiction blur. Picture a theme park ‘castle’ that looks more magical than any real fortress — the copy replaces the original.
超真实是让·鲍德里亚提出的概念，描述了仿拟与影像变得比真实更真实、令真相与虚构界限模糊的状态。想象一座主题乐园里的“城堡”比任何真实堡垒都更奇幻——复制品替代了原作。
Digital divide refers to the gap between those who have easy access to digital technology and the internet and those who do not, often reinforcing existing inequalities. Split the word yourself: ‘digital’ + ‘divide’ = a digital chasm.
数字鸿沟指能够轻松接触数字技术和互联网的人群，与无法接触的人群之间的差距，这一鸿沟往往加剧了现有不平等。自己拆解这个词：“digital”（数字的）+“divide”（分歧/鸿沟）= 一道数字裂谷。
Cultural imperialism is the practice of promoting one culture’s values and products over another, typically through media exports. Think of the global dominance of certain streaming platforms — they export not just entertainment but a way of life.
文化帝国主义是指通过媒体输出将一种文化的价值观和产品强加于另一种文化的做法。想一想某些流媒体平台的全球主导地位——它们输出的不仅是娱乐，更是一种生活方式。
8. Research Methods | 研究方法
Validity concerns whether a research method measures what it intends to measure — achieving a true, honest picture of social reality. If a questionnaire misses real emotions, it lacks validity. Memory trick: valid = value of truth.
效度涉及研究方法是否真正测量了它想要测量的东西——获得对社会现实的真实、诚实的画面。如果一份问卷遗漏了真实情感，它就缺乏效度。记忆技巧：效度（validity）就是真实的价值。
Reliability is about consistency — if another researcher repeats the same study, they should obtain similar results. Think of a reliable kitchen scale that shows the same weight for the same bag of sugar every time.
信度关乎一致性——如果另一位研究者重复相同的研究，应当能得到相似的结果。想象一个可靠（reliable）的厨房秤，每次称同一袋糖都显示相同的重量。
Triangulation is the use of two or more research methods in the same study to cross-check results and enhance confidence. The term borrows from surveying, where multiple points fix a location; in sociology, multiple methods ‘fix’ the truth more accurately.
三角交叉法是在同一研究中使用两种或以上研究方法，以交叉检查结果并提高可信度。该术语借自测量学，即多点定位；在社会学中，多种方法能更精准地“定位”真相。
Ethics are the moral guidelines that govern research conduct, including informed consent, confidentiality and protecting participants from harm. Remember: research must remain ethi’cal’ — caring about people’s wellbeing.
伦理是规范研究行为的道德准则，包括知情同意、保密和保护参与者免受伤害。记住：研究必须“伦理地”（ethically）进行——关心人们的福祉。
9. Sociological Theories and Perspectives | 社会学理论与视角
Functionalism views society as a system of interconnected parts that work together to maintain stability and solidarity, like the organs of a body. Each institution, from family to education, serves a ‘function’. Think body, think balance.
功能主义将社会视为相互关联的部分共同努力以维持稳定和团结的系统，就像人体的器官。从家庭到教育，每个制度都发挥一项“功能”。想到身体，便想到平衡。
Marxism is a conflict perspective arguing that society is defined by class struggle between the bourgeoisie (owners) and proletariat (workers). The economic base shapes everything — remember: Marx starts with ‘material’.
马克思主义是一种冲突视角，认为社会由资产阶级（所有者）与无产阶级（工人）之间的阶级斗争所定义。经济基础塑造一切——记住：马克思（Marx）从“物质”（material）开始分析。
Feminism highlights gender inequalities and seeks to challenge patriarchal structures. Different strands exist, but all share the idea that society disadvantages women. Memory cue: ‘fem’ in feminism signals the focus on female experiences.
女性主义强调性别不平等并力图挑战父权结构。虽有不同流派，但都认同社会将女性置于不利地位。记忆线索：女性主义（feminism）中的“fem”提示着对女性经验的聚焦。
Interactionism focuses on small-scale, face-to-face social interactions and the meanings individuals attach to actions. Instead of grand structures, it examines how labels and interpretations shape reality. Picture a zoom lens that magnifies everyday encounters.
互动论聚焦小规模、面对面的社会互动及个体赋予行动的意义。不关注宏大结构，它考察标签和诠释如何塑造现实。可以想象一支放大日常遭遇的微距镜头。
10. Power and Politics | 权力与政治
Power is the ability of an individual or group to achieve their will even against the resistance of others, according to Max Weber. It is the engine behind social stratification. Think of power as a resource that can be wielded, accumulated or resisted.
权力在马克斯·韦伯看来，是指个体或群体即使在他人抵抗下也能实现自身意志的能力。它是社会分层背后的引擎。想象权力是一种可以被运用、积累或抵抗的资源。
Authority is legitimate power — governance accepted as rightful by those subject to it. Weber distinguished traditional, charismatic and legal-rational authority. Memory tip: authority has ‘author’ in it — it is ‘authored’ by accepted rules or customs.
权威是正当化的权力——被统治者认可的合法治理。韦伯区分了传统型、魅力型和法理型权威。记忆技巧：authority中含有“author”（作者）——它是由公认规则或习俗“著述”出来的。
Citizenship refers to the status of being a full member of a community, entailing rights and responsibilities. T.H. Marshall traced civil, political and social rights. Envision a ‘citizen’s card’ that grants access to equality, voting and welfare.
公民身份指作为社会共同体的正式成员所享有的地位，包含权利与义务。T.H. 马歇尔追溯了公民权利、政治权利和社会权利。设想一张“公民卡”，用以获得平等、投票权和福利。
Globalisation is the increasing interconnectedness of societies across economic, cultural and political domains, compressing time and space. Picture a web of flows — capital, information and people — stretching across the globe, tightening daily.
全球化是各社会在经济、文化和政治领域日益加深相互联系的过程，压缩了时间与空间。想象一张流动之网——资本、信息和人口——在全球伸展，愈织愈密。
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