Pibes,Cracks and Caudillos: Argentina,the World Cup and identity politics

Scholars of Argentine fútbol have explored the construction of fútbol criollo and how this style of play has factored into the broader debate over national identity in Argentina. Focusing on the performance of the key Argentine personalities at the FIFA World Cup from 1958 to 1990, this essay explores how fútbol represented a contested vision of the nation across five decades. After a 24-year absence at the FIFA World Cup, and in the wake of the overthrow of President Juan Perón, Argentina underachieved at the 1958 tournament. The country would later experience a number of disappointments en route to eventually winning the 1978 and 1986 World Cups. However, across this time span (and beyond) the team’s style of play and identity became the subject of intense debate. Popular discourse revealed a preference between two approaches seemingly in juxtaposition to each other. On the one hand, traditionalists favoured the criollo style, which celebrated the pibe (the young kid from the streets) and the potrero (the dusty fields where fútbol is practised) as emblematic of the nation. These symbols represented the working class and elevated the life of the barrio as an anchor to the nation’s humble beginnings. On the other hand, reformers preferred approaches that proved successful in Europe. Sometimes described by critics as anti-fútbol, the emphasis was on physicality, strict adherence to tactics and data-driven training. Proponents in Argentina equated this European approach to progress and modernity. Between 1958 and 1990, notable Argentine personalities at the FIFA World Cup embodied both of these philosophies.     

Children´s play and affective development: affect,school adjustment and learning in preschoolers / El juego infantil y el desarrollo afectivo: afecto,ajuste escolar y aprendizaje en la etapa preescolar

Preschool education is a privileged setting where social development and the progressive achievement of emotional adjustment occur. During this stage, affect plays an important role in social interaction. Furthermore, children’s play has been described as an activity with a great potential for promoting development. This article reports results from the systematic observation of 38 five- to six-year-old children in four different school activities on two separate occasions. A total number of 304 registries, totalling 1,520 minutes, were made during the observations, which were conducted with the objective of comparing affective expression in different activities and inquiring into its relationship to school adjustment and performance in preschoolers. It was found that affect’s intensity and quality is higher during play. Results are discussed taking into account positive relationships between affect and school adjustment and performance, concluding that children’s play is a privileged activity for affective development and should be promoted in preschool education.