André H. Caron

André H. Caron (born 1949) is a Canadian Communications scholar whose research focuses predominantly on young people and media, and the appropriation of new technologies in society (particularly the use of Mobile Communication Devices). Through his books and research projects, he examines social, cultural and policy issues, as well as the overall influence that traditional and new media have on the family and the lives of children and youth.

Alongside Dr. James R. Taylor and Dr. Annie Méar, he helped establish the first graduate program for Communication Studies in French Canada in 1974. Since then, he continues his role as Full Professor at the Department of Communication at the Université de Montréal.^[1]

Professional career

Caron holds degrees from Boston University (M.Sc. Communication Research, 1971) and from Harvard University (Ed.D. Human Development – Mass Media, 1976). He was appointed the Director of the Bell Chair in interdisciplinary research on emerging technologies (2003-2011) and is the founding Director of the Centre for Youth and Media Studies (GRJM\CYMS) (1988–present)^[2] and CITÉ (Centre for Interdisciplinary Research on Emerging Technologies) (2003–2011). He was the Director of the Department of Communication at the Université de Montréal from 1985 to 1991.^[3] During his career, he has been invited as visiting scholar at Stanford University, Harvard University, University of Leicester in the United Kingdom, Università di Bologna in Italy and the University of Fribourg in Switzerland.

He has regularly acted as a consultant-researcher for various government commissions in Canada and was appointed in the late nineties by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) as Fiduciary for the merger of CFCF Inc. and the Groupe Vidéotron Ltée.^[4] He has held the position of Chairman of the Board of Mediasmarts and Vice-President of the Board of the National Film Board of Canada, and was a member of the Board of the Canadian Television Fund and the Bell New Media Fund.

Major contributions

His research has played a determining role in Canadian policies with regards to children and media, as well as on the diffusion and cultural impact of information and communication technologies.

In terms of policy impact on children and youth, his work began addressing policy concerns as early as the 1970s, when he published a study on first-time exposure to television and their effects on Inuit children in northern Quebec.^[5] His earlier work contributed to the Quebec Office for Consumer Protection's proposal for legislation regulating the role and influence of media advertising targeted at children (1978).^[6][7] Additional research was also included in the recommendations put forth by the Ontario Royal Commission on counteracting violence in television (1979).^[8]

In 1986, his research ^[9][10] was used by the government of Canada to persuade the CRTC to hold hearings for a new private French television network in Quebec to counteract the growing number of francophone viewers drifting towards American television. His work is often referred to at CRTC hearings regarding the status of children and media.

He is known for his long-term quantitative studies and multi-methodological approaches, and has participated in several large-scale multi-lingual international research initiatives.

With regards to cultural impact, he has been credited with coining the term Culture Mobile in French academia in 2005 (translation: Mobile Turn), in reference to the ways in which new technology redefines temporal and special societal constraints; an emphasis on the new nomadic identity of contemporary social actors.^[11]

To date, he has published numerous books and articles, and contributed to seminal work for the International Handbook for Children, Media and Culture^[12] and the Handbook of Child Well-Being.^[13]

Books

Culture mobile: les nouvelles pratiques de communications

Published in French in 2005 with co-author Dr. Letitzia Caronia, it explores the ways in which the mobile phone has been adopted in society and our everyday life, particularly in respect to youth, and the subsequent redefinition of social links and interpersonal relationships that have occurred; ultimately creating the emergence of a "culture mobile".^[14]

Moving Cultures: Mobile Communication in Everyday Life

Co-written with Dr. Letizia Caronia, it examines how teenagers have creatively adopted mobile phones in their social and cultural lives. This appropriation of cell phones exists as a verbal performance through which young people create culture, and argues that teenagers have domesticated and reinterpreted this technology. The book was published in 2007, and also published in Italian in 2010.^[15]

Regulating Screens: Issues in Broadcasting and Internet Governance for Children

Published in 2013 with co-author Ronald I. Cohen, the book provides an overview of the existing rules and regulations that mediate the use of screens amongst children on an international scale (specifically in Canada, the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the European Union) and furthers the examination of how governments and non-governmental organizations have been contributing to make television and the Internet safer for children.^[16]

Awards

1989 – BBM Canada Award: In recognition for an exceptional contribution to the radio-television industry 2001 – Appointed by the Governor General of Canada as a member of the board of direction for the National Film Board of Canada 2010 - Premio Venezia: Awarded by the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Canada for excellence in the scientific field for collaboration between Quebecois and Italian academic institutions. 2003-2011 - Bell Chair: An industry chair developed by Bell Media in the area of interdisciplinary research on emerging technologies at the Université de Montréal.

External links

• André H. Caron's research group web page
• André H. Caron profil on Département de communication web page

References