Goals of Social Policy in the Fourth Industrial Revolution from a Developmental Context in Africa

Social policy describes how various cultures respond to people’s needs for safety, education, employment, and general well-being. In other words, social policy is concerned with how states and society respond to global challenges, which include deprivation, movement of people, and global economic integration, as well as socioeconomic, demographic, and economic changes. The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is having a significant impact on social policy both normatively and practically due to the wide range of challenges it entails. In light of this, this chapter will investigate the crucial aspects of social policy that the 4IR should address, drawing on viewpoints and analyses from social and political philosophy, economics, sociology, migration studies, and international relations. This study concludes that although social policy can address a wide range of objectives in light of the 4IR, the objectives of inclusive growth and development, digital inclusion for development, cybersecurity for development, and gender-sensitive policies for development can act as a foundation for humanity’s social and economic advancement in Africa.