Lesson Plan

Course: SOCIOLOGY (HMT141) Class: BBA (1st Semester)

Lecture 4
First Session Lecture: 75 minutes
Objectives:
The objectives of this lecture are:
 To describe the three ways to do sociology and all the methods of sociological research and
research ethics.
 To recognize how to use sociological imagination and how the selection of research methods
depends upon the questions sociologists wish to answer with the help of resources available to
support the research
 To apply sociology’s guidelines for carrying out ethical research to all of the real-life examples of
sociological investigation
Lecture Slides:
The lecture slides will cover the following:
 Definition and elements of scientific social research
 Three ways to do sociological research: positivist, interpretive, and critical sociology.
 Mixed research methods
 The research process
 Causation and correlation
 Research designs
 Research ethics

Reference Book / Reading

Book: Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach by Henslin, James M. (2011), Prentice Hall. (Latest
Edition)
“Essentials of Sociology”, Brinkerhoff, D. B. (2008) Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth. (Latest
Edition)

Read: Chapter 2 (pp. 124-145)

Additional resources: http://openstaxcollege.org/l/Method-in-Sociology
http://openstaxcollege.org/l/Sociology-Experiments

PPT: SOCI_Lecture04.ppt (Available in folder IULMS)

 Complete Plan for Session No.4
S.No Assigned Tasks Time How to conduct
Breaku
p (75
Min)
1 Discussion on learned 20 Min Questions:
concepts so that queries can a) Ask students about
be resolved their confusion in a
topic (Go through all
slides).
b) If there are less queries,
then ask some
questions yourself
about the topic
c) Try to include
maximum number of
students in discussion.
2 Brainstorming Activities: 30 Min
1. What type of data do
surveys gather? For what  Use any two / three
topics would surveys be the activities as per time
best research method? What available.
drawbacks might you expect  Provide detailed
to encounter when using a explanations on these
survey? brainstorming activities to
2. Imagine you are about to all the students of class as
do field research in a specific they require.
place for a set time. Instead
of thinking about the topic of
study itself, consider how Individual Activity
you, as the researcher, will
have to prepare for the study. Instructions:
What personal, social, and a) Think silently on assigned
physical sacrifices will you activity and write down on
have to make? How will you your notebooks
manage your personal b) No submission is required
effects? What organizational
equipment and systems will
you need to collect the data?
3. Would you willingly
participate in a sociological
study that could potentially
 put your health and safety at
risk, but had the potential to
help thousands or even
hundreds of thousands of
people? For example, would
you participate in a study of
a new drug that could cure
diabetes or cancer, even if it
meant great inconvenience
and physical discomfort for
you or possible permanent
damage?
4. Should sociologists be
allowed to do research on
dishonest or disapprove
behavior? On Illegal
behavior? Why or why not?

3 Discussion on brainstorming 25 Min a) Ask some students to share

activities so that concepts can be these examples (especially
clearer. those who have not spoken
yet).
b) Try to indulge them so they
come up with discussion in
order to get clear picture
about the highlighted
concepts.
c) Comment whether these
answer write or wrong.
d) Suggest possible
corrections wherever they
are required.