Ndangwa Noyoo is an Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Social Development at the University of Cape Town, South Africa.

• PART I: Conceptual and theoretical perspectives. Introduction. 1 Theoretical, conceptual, and philosophical underpinnings of social policy. 2 Locating social policy in the political economy and institutional dimensions. 3 Unpacking social engineering and social re-engineering. 4 Social policy and the notion of the Good Society. PART II: Historical and comparative perspectives of social policy. 5 Social policy in colonial and apartheid South Africa. 6 Social policy in the post-apartheid era. 7 Social policy in the Global North and Global South: How social policy created new societies in different parts of the world. PART III: The practical dimensions of social policy and social re-engineering. 8 Evidence-based government for social re-engineering. 9 The state and social policy. 10 Social re-engineering via universal education, universal health-care, inclusive human settlements, land redistribution, and employment generation. 11 Social re-engineering through the promotion of family life and the strengthening of families, gender realignment, Early Childhood Development (ECD), and youth development. 12 Social policy and social re-engineering for a highly violent society. Conclusion.

Ndangwa Noyoo is an Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Social Development at the University of Cape Town, South Africa.

• PART I: Conceptual and theoretical perspectives. Introduction. 1 Theoretical, conceptual, and philosophical underpinnings of social policy. 2 Locating social policy in the political economy and institutional dimensions. 3 Unpacking social engineering and social re-engineering. 4 Social policy and the notion of the Good Society. PART II: Historical and comparative perspectives of social policy. 5 Social policy in colonial and apartheid South Africa. 6 Social policy in the post-apartheid era. 7 Social policy in the Global North and Global South: How social policy created new societies in different parts of the world. PART III: The practical dimensions of social policy and social re-engineering. 8 Evidence-based government for social re-engineering. 9 The state and social policy. 10 Social re-engineering via universal education, universal health-care, inclusive human settlements, land redistribution, and employment generation. 11 Social re-engineering through the promotion of family life and the strengthening of families, gender realignment, Early Childhood Development (ECD), and youth development. 12 Social policy and social re-engineering for a highly violent society. Conclusion.