Social work 4.0? The fourth industrial revolution and social work education: A South African perspective

Abstract

The First and Second Industrial Revolutions created significant disruptions in the social life and economic activities of human societies globally. Traditionally, social work practice has had a strong “face-to-face” foundation. Emerging technologies in the Third and Fourth Industrial Revolutions such as computers, mobile technologies, big data, internet of things, artificial intelligence and virtual reality are now creating a potential disruption in the traditional practice of social work. The emergence of e-social work and social work informatics broadens the scope of practice of social work in the 21st century. This article will examine the implications for social work education.