This study dealt with the selection process and role expectations associated with the sponsor or godparent among Mexican American and Anglo-American Catholics. The primary purpose was to answer four questions: (1) Who is selected to be a godparent; (2) How he or she is chosen: (3) When the godparent is selected; and (4) What the parents expect the godparent to do for the child. In order to answer these questions a sample of families selected by the priests of three parishes differing with respect to ethnic composition was interviewed. This sample was composed of families which had had a child baptized in the six-month period, November, 1972, to May, 1973. The data were collected by means of a personal interview which was based on a questionnaire designed to elicit the information needed to answer the questions posed by the study. In general, there were little or no differences in the role expectations and selection of godparents among Mexican-American Catholics and Anglo-American Catholics. However, there was considerable variation among Mexican Americans from the expectations suggested in the literature. The primary differences between Mexican-American and·Anglo-American Catholics appear to be frequency of contact with godparents (Mexican American Catholics had more frequent contact) and location of godparents (Mexican-American godparents were more proximal), two factors which are undoubtedly interrelated.
","abstract_html":"<p>This study dealt with the selection process and role expectations associated with the sponsor or godparent among Mexican American and Anglo-American Catholics. The primary purpose was to answer four questions: (1) Who is selected to be a godparent; (2) How he or she is chosen: (3) When the godparent is selected; and (4) What the parents expect the godparent to do for the child. In order to answer these questions a sample of families selected by the priests of three parishes differing with respect to ethnic composition was interviewed. This sample was composed of families which had had a child baptized in the six-month period, November, 1972, to May, 1973. The data were collected by means of a personal interview which was based on a questionnaire designed to elicit the information needed to answer the questions posed by the study. In general, there were little or no differences in the role expectations and selection of godparents among Mexican-American Catholics and Anglo-American Catholics. However, there was considerable variation among Mexican Americans from the expectations suggested in the literature. The primary differences between Mexican-American and·Anglo-American Catholics appear to be frequency of contact with godparents (Mexican American Catholics had more frequent contact) and location of godparents (Mexican-American godparents were more proximal), two factors which are undoubtedly interrelated.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Sanchez Lawson, Sonia Felicita"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Arts (MA)","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Anthropology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["James H. Stirling","John W. Elick","Peter Luna"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":1975,"date_issued":"1975-06-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"1975-06-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:53:08Z","subjects":["Anthropology","Social and Cultural Anthropology","Catholic Church -- Customs and practices; Sponsors; Sponsors Hispanic Americans -- Religious life"],"languages":["English"],"rights":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/675","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["James H. Stirling","John W. 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The author retains all other copyrights."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/675"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This study dealt with the selection process and role expectations associated with the sponsor or godparent among Mexican American and Anglo-American Catholics. The primary purpose was to answer four questions: (1) Who is selected to be a godparent; (2) How he or she is chosen: (3) When the godparent is selected; and (4) What the parents expect the godparent to do for the child. In order to answer these questions a sample of families selected by the priests of three parishes differing with respect to ethnic composition was interviewed. This sample was composed of families which had had a child baptized in the six-month period, November, 1972, to May, 1973. The data were collected by means of a personal interview which was based on a questionnaire designed to elicit the information needed to answer the questions posed by the study. In general, there were little or no differences in the role expectations and selection of godparents among Mexican-American Catholics and Anglo-American Catholics. However, there was considerable variation among Mexican Americans from the expectations suggested in the literature. The primary differences between Mexican-American and·Anglo-American Catholics appear to be frequency of contact with godparents (Mexican American Catholics had more frequent contact) and location of godparents (Mexican-American godparents were more proximal), two factors which are undoubtedly interrelated.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Godparents Among Mexican-American and Anglo-American Catholics"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["James H. Stirling","John W. Elick","Peter Luna"],"dc:creator":["Sanchez Lawson, Sonia Felicita"],"dc:description.abstract":["This study dealt with the selection process and role expectations associated with the sponsor or godparent among Mexican American and Anglo-American Catholics. The primary purpose was to answer four questions: (1) Who is selected to be a godparent; (2) How he or she is chosen: (3) When the godparent is selected; and (4) What the parents expect the godparent to do for the child. In order to answer these questions a sample of families selected by the priests of three parishes differing with respect to ethnic composition was interviewed. This sample was composed of families which had had a child baptized in the six-month period, November, 1972, to May, 1973. The data were collected by means of a personal interview which was based on a questionnaire designed to elicit the information needed to answer the questions posed by the study. In general, there were little or no differences in the role expectations and selection of godparents among Mexican-American Catholics and Anglo-American Catholics. However, there was considerable variation among Mexican Americans from the expectations suggested in the literature. The primary differences between Mexican-American and·Anglo-American Catholics appear to be frequency of contact with godparents (Mexican American Catholics had more frequent contact) and location of godparents (Mexican-American godparents were more proximal), two factors which are undoubtedly interrelated.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/675"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:rights":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."],"dc:subject":["Anthropology","Social and Cultural Anthropology","Catholic Church -- Customs and practices; Sponsors; Sponsors Hispanic Americans -- Religious life"],"dc:title":["Godparents Among Mexican-American and Anglo-American Catholics"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Anthropology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts (MA)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:53:08Z"}