Extro-science fusion: the marvelous realism of worlds beyond science

Most attempts to define the intellectual significance of marvelous realism have been framed by a focus on postcolonialism1 and postmodernism2. These approaches see it as a postcolonial assertion of a culture's identity and reduce it to a "going back" to an ancestral past that persists as a stubborn presence within certain geographies. This essay develops the proposition that the significance of marvelous realism goes beyond social and cultural perspectives - that it is, essentially, a mestizo ontology. Differently than the vast majority of theoretical incursions in this field, which only allude to the marvelous or fictional aspects of the movement, I will inquire instead on its singular appreciation of the real. By so doing I honor the wishes of Gabriel García Márquez, who was adamant in his defense of the real in and through his works.

The effect of gender context on children's social behaviour in a limited resources situation : an observational study

Knowing when to compete and when to cooperate to maximize opportunities for equal access to activities and materials in groups is critical to children's social and cognitive development. The present study examined the individual (gender, social competence) and contextual factors (gender context) that may determine why some children are more successful than others. One hundred and fifty-six children (M age=6.5 years) were divided into 39 groups of four and videotaped while engaged in a task that required them to cooperate in order to view cartoons. Children within all groups were unfamiliar to one another. Groups varied in gender composition (all girls, all boys, or mixed-sex) and social competence (high vs. low). Group composition by gender interaction effects were found. Girls were most successful at gaining viewing time in same-sex groups, and least successful in mixed-sex groups. Conversely, boys were least successful in same-sex groups and most successful in mixed-sex groups. Similar results were also found at the group level of analysis; however, the way in which the resources were distributed differed as a function of group type. Same-sex girl groups were inequitable but efficient whereas same-sex boy groups were more equitable than mixed groups but inefficient compared to same-sex girl groups. Social competence did not influence children's behavior. The findings from the present study highlight the effect of gender context on cooperation and competition and the relevance of adopting an unfamiliar peer paradigm when investigating children's social behavior.