Why do you need to go to university to to improve your knowledge of history or sociology?
A degree in history or sociology is seen as useless because it mostly is outside academia. The people who are good in the field will most likely end up on the academic track, and those who aren't will most likely end up in low paying jobs having wasted several years and tens of thousands of dollars.
The problem isn't history or sociology degrees, it is people thinking that a degree is a ticket to a good job.
A degree in history or sociology is seen as useless because it mostly is outside academia. The people who are good in the field will most likely end up on the academic track, and those who aren't will most likely end up in low paying jobs having wasted several years and tens of thousands of dollars.
The problem isn't history or sociology degrees, it is people thinking that a degree is a ticket to a good job.