Socioeconomic describes anything that involves social conditions and money conditions together — because in real life the two cannot be pulled apart. Your family's income, your parents' jobs, how much schooling they had, the neighbourhood you grew up in: put all of that together and you have someone's socioeconomic background, or socioeconomic status.

SocioeconomicSocioeconomic describes anything that involves social conditions and money conditions together用來形容同時牽涉到社會條件和金錢條件的事物 — because in real life the two cannot be pulled apart因為在現實生活裡，這兩者是分不開的. Your family's income, your parents' jobs, how much schooling they had, the neighbourhood you grew up in你家裡的收入、父母的工作、他們受過多少教育、你成長的社區: put all of that together and you have someone's socioeconomic background, or socioeconomic status把這些全部加起來，就是一個人的socioeconomic background（社經背景），或socioeconomic status（社經地位）.

It is a research word, and it belongs to careful writing: government reports, surveys, education studies, health studies, news articles built on those studies. Common partners are 'socioeconomic status' (so common that researchers shorten it to SES), 'socioeconomic background', 'socioeconomic factors', 'socioeconomic group', 'socioeconomic inequality'.

It is a research word這是一個研究用字, and it belongs to careful writing屬於嚴謹的寫作: government reports, surveys, education studies, health studies, news articles built on those studies政府報告、調查、教育研究、健康研究，以及根據那些研究寫成的新聞文章. Common partners are 'socioeconomic status' (so common that researchers shorten it to SES), 'socioeconomic background', 'socioeconomic factors', 'socioeconomic group', 'socioeconomic inequality'常見的搭配有『socioeconomic status』（太常見了，研究者會簡稱SES）、『socioeconomic background』、『socioeconomic factors』、『socioeconomic group』、『socioeconomic inequality』.

Why do people use it instead of just saying 'rich or poor'? Partly because it is more exact — it includes education and job type, not only money — and partly because it is politer. 'Children from poorer families do worse in exams' and 'children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds do worse in exams' say much the same thing, but the second sounds neutral and scientific.

Why do people use it instead of just saying 'rich or poor'?為什麼人們要用這個字，而不是直接說『有錢或貧窮』？ Partly because it is more exact一部分是因為它更精確 — it includes education and job type, not only money它包含了教育和工作類型，不只是錢 — and partly because it is politer另一部分是因為它比較有禮貌. 'Children from poorer families do worse in exams'『來自比較窮的家庭的孩子考試考得比較差』 and 'children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds do worse in exams'和『來自較低socioeconomic背景的孩子考試考得比較差』 say much the same thing說的是差不多的事, but the second sounds neutral and scientific但第二句聽起來比較中性、比較科學.

That politeness is worth seeing clearly: the word can soften a hard fact until the reader stops feeling it. Good writers know this and use it on purpose.

That politeness is worth seeing clearly這種禮貌值得看清楚: the word can soften a hard fact until the reader stops feeling it這個字可以把一個很現實的事實變得柔和，柔和到讀者不再感覺到它. Good writers know this and use it on purpose好的作者知道這一點，而且是故意這樣用的.