Mother-Daughter Conflict and the Selection of Ritual Kin in a Peasant Community

The relevance of the mother-daughter relationship has been underestimated in sociocultural research on institutions of peasant societies. Specifically, structural analyses of compadrazgo, or ritual godparenthood, emphasize the centrality of male actors, and cultural interpretations, a male perspective. These studies often lack an understanding of how women's roles, strategies, and goals influence the selection of godparents. I argue that in rural Yucatán mothers and daughters depend upon each other throughout life for their emotional and social well-being. However, courtship and marriage challenge the continuity of the mother-daughter tie. In this article case study and statistical analyses examine how mother-daughter conflict during courtship affects the selection of hetzmek and baptismal godparents. Results indicate that women can use compadrazgo to reconcile and/or strengthen an estranged mother-daughter relationship.