tibor

Hi there, I need advice. I'm thinking about pursuing a sociology phd with an emphasis on policy applications and need to sound out some experts - ! first - why i'm thinking about this. I currently work at a non-profit that provides the broadest possible range of services to the city's poor. I work in the agency's planning and strategy department, and in this capacity, i am removed from the day-to-day operations of our organization. we're very large, over $100m, and we serve over 125,000 people every year. the problem for me is that i feel we're fatally flawed, and i'll never be able to make the difference that i want to, either for the agency (to become more effective) or for our clients (through improving the agency 1. b/c i can't move up in it, for any number of reasons, one of which is racial - i'm white, and further, privileged and have been told that's working against me, and 2. b/c i'm on the strategy side, not implementation side, and get guff from those who actually are on the ground.) a city kid born-and-bred, my passion lies in increasing opportunities for and the lives of america's disadvataged, particularly urban minorities. i'm particularly interested in the experiences and outlook of young black men in our cities. i have no idea why this interests me - it simply does. i admit i'm first driven to this work because poverty is the problem we've been unable to solve - so it's an intellectual puzzle, and one laden with emotion. the fact that helping others is the right thing is a second, albeit a close second. as for my background - i went to an ivy league school and studied history, then immediately to LSE for an MSC in government. i received both degrees with honors. but as things stand now, i feel that i need something else to maximize my ability to affect change. i don't know if i should spend the rest of my career researching, publishing and teaching (not crazy about the teaching, to be honest) - i think perhaps a phd would give me the freedom to go to washington and work either in government or a policy institute. i've not read theory, but I'm pretty nerdy. I love crunching numbers and writing papers. I'm also 31, so i might be much older than my compatriots... i like chicago, and michigan, but haven't been thrilled by harvard or other schools. Please just let me know what you think. be honest - am i barking up the wrong tree? might a jd suffice? can research affect lives? do i belong in a MPP program? I'd be so grateful by feedback - of the positive and negative, and get-out-of-town variety! i may well be back to talk about specific programs and people - but for now, i'm testing the waters. thanks, and all best, tibor