Hi Cooltime,
To answer your question, I'd say that your chances of admission would definitely decrease if you were not interested in spending your life as a researcher and a professor, especially if you made this fact known in your applications. After all, PhD programs are designed to train people for careers in academia, at least primarily as far as I know. I would say that if you do pursue a Master's degree, it would probably be less beneficial to pursue one in sociology than in, say, social work or urban planning or some other degree. Actually, did you ever think of urban planning? That seems like it could fit into your interests. Anyway, I know how hard it is to decide what to do in life. Good luck to you!
Urbanethnographer