Hello Everyone,
I am very much interested in pursuing a PhD in Political Science or Public Policy. I want a career in research and scholarly work. I am very passionate about this.
My parents will support me in any endeavor that I choose to undertake. However, my dad does not necessarily see any point in a PhD program. He is fine with me doing it, but I can tell that he doesn’t see the point in it. He thinks that I should go to law school. Honestly, I do not think he sees the point in academia at all. He really has no interest in my academic life (class wise), other than that I am doing well. He really will not even humor me and listen to my interests. I know they bore him. Don’t get me wrong, I have a great relationship with him otherwise.
I know that I will ultimately do what is going to make me happy, and that is pursuing the PhD program. Are feelings like this common among family members? Should I get used to many people not seeing the point in me pursuing a PhD? Has anyone else experienced this situation (parents not interested in academic/career goals?
Lots of people don’t understand why you might want to pursue an academic career and this is not just because they don’t understand academics but also because it is a tough road to follow and not paid very well. However if you are going into it with your eyes open and prepared for the challenges, it can be a very rewarding career.
My parents, particularly my father, didn’t understand my pursuit of the PhD either. My father at one point tried to convince me to drop out. He thought working and making money sooner was more important. Our parents usually want what’s best for us, and they usually want us to not struggle financially - so a lot of parents suggest the most lucrative career option they can think of. My dad wanted me to be an engineer.
From here on out, your motivation and support has to come from within. There will be many people who don’t understand - in fact, I’d say the majority of people don’t understand academia. You will have to answer questions about what you are doing exactly, deal with people who assume that grad school is like undergrad, and field “When are you going to be finished, again?” and “What are you gonna do with that?” over and over and over again. BUT, at the same time, you can’t expect them to listen to your interests or ideas. Most PhD students eventually come up with a 15-30 second layman’s answer to what they’re doing research-wise. (Eventually, I got tired of even talking about it myself.)
So yes, hunker down and get used to it. The questions didn’t end until I got a permanent full-time job seven years later, after a PhD and a postdoc.