ABSTRACT
The important roles of one’s location in society and family and subjective experiences that mould one’s learning and thought processes are often not acknowledged as we traverse our academic career, and we often assume achievements to be the product of merit. Only when the subjective experience of life, its many contradictions and confusions, and the emerging questions get the benefit of a confrontation with the world of ideas/institutions that theoretically provoke, question, and challenge do we become thinking individuals – a right that should be universal but is so exclusive in our society. This chapter explores such a journey in learning to bring in concepts from across social science disciplines to understand public health and its policies. It argues that, for interdisciplinary studies to be meaningful, they have to touch real-life problems. Only the freedom to explore ideas, collective work, and pedagogic methods and test ideas in real life can help break disciplinary boundaries.
