Final answer:
New Social Movement Theory explains how new communication technology fosters social change by analyzing the complex interplay between movements and societal elements like politics and culture, with new media playing a key role in mobilizing for change and altering social interactions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The theory that suggests new communication technology promotes social change is known as New Social Movement Theory. It is not one specific theory but rather a broad perspective that seeks to understand the complex relationship between movements and factors such as politics, identity, culture, and social change. This theory or perspective was developed by European social scientists in the 1950s and 1960s to explain the proliferation of postindustrial and postmodern movements that traditional social movement theories found difficult to analyze.
Moreover, new media is significantly changing the relationship between communication, government, and politics by allowing people to bypass traditional media outlets, directly engage with political issues, and mobilize for action. This is exemplified by the ways individuals use social media to raise awareness, participate in social activism, or disseminate information.
The proliferation of new media has fundamentally altered not only the means of communication but also the nature of social interactions, promoting both social homogenization and social fragmentation. Additionally, technological advancements follow an evolutionary model, where breakthroughs lead to new variations and subsequently refined prototypes, as described by Anderson and Tushman (1990).