ABSTRACT
In the last chapter we explored the concept of negotiation and looked at the complex processes through which patterns of commitment had developed over time in one kin group. We suggested that negotiations are never sequences of completely separate events: both moral and material elements are carried forward into subsequent negotiations. We argued that the way people negotiate can have just as enduring a significance as the material outcomes of negotiations. This occurs because, through the process of negotiation, people construct social meanings which help everyone to make sense of the past, present and future. In this chapter we develop further our analysis of the way social meanings are constructed and deployed. We do this by focusing on a particular set of ‘meanings’, which we are calling ‘legitimate excuses’.
