 Dear students, in this module, we are going to talk about the theory building process. We have frequently confronted with the theories. However, it becomes very difficult for us to grasp that how this theory building process is initiated and what are the mechanisms behind the theory building process. We would see that there are two approaches that would help us in this theory building process, inductive and deductive. Inductive approach starts with the empirical observations like the limited number of observations and data collection. And based on those limited number of observations, we move towards the development of theory. So based on the limited number of observations and then towards the theory building process. On the other hand, for the deductive approach, we start with a theory or a hypothesis like a specific particular statement and then we test it through the empirical observations and the data collection. Inductive approach is more a kind of exploratory approach. It's a more general approach that generates different new ideas and new hypotheses. However, inductive approach offers us relatively less reliable knowledge as compared to the deductive approach. So deductive approach is more like a confirmatory approach and it tests different existing theories and hypotheses. So both approaches are used in the field of sociology to build and test different theories or hypotheses. For example, inductive approach in the field of sociology can be used to study the emergence of different social movements in a society. For example, the social movement that would lead to the gender equality or the protests against the gender equality or the latest feminist movements which are initiated in Pakistan. And here we would say that inductive approach would help us to draw certain conclusions based on our limited number of observations. And then the example for the deductive approach would be used to test certain hypotheses that social class can affect the educational attainment. Here we have a specific statement that can be testable through this deductive approach that whether social class affects the educational attainment or not. Social class ki jab hum baat karein toh phir hum aage age module to hum dekhenge ke kis tara se social class jo hai wo different variables aur different assumptions ki bunyaad ke upar ek testable variable ban sakta hai aur phir uske baad hum uska effect ki tara se dekh sakta hai educational attainment ke upar. So this is a pictorial reflection of these two approaches that deductive approach is from general to specific and inductive approach goes from specific to the general mode of knowledge.