The Opportunities and Challenges of Information and Communication Technology and Digital Media Research in Canadian Francophone Studies

Abstract

This article reviews and brings together literature from francophone studies on identity across several disciplines (sociology, geography, history, political economy) with that on information and communication technologies (ICTs). The article revisits established scholarship on minority francophones to address the collective shift in understanding membership in these fragmented communities since the rise of the Internet. The analysis brings to light the need to address topics such as geographic mobility and ethnic diversity among francophones. The literature is deconstructed to identify gaps in existing theories and consider minority francophones from an information society perspective. The article makes clear the challenges and opportunities of looking at new concepts such as ICTs, virtual identity, and geographic mobility.