Gay and Lesbian Marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Gay and Lesbian Marriage - Essay Example This is clearly a situation where, while actions are happening on the micro level of society, the response is being created by the macro level of society. Gidden's Theory of Structuration looks in detail at how all levels of society interact and help to create the responses of the other levels. Gidden's suggests that no social structure is permanent; rather it is built upon the actions of those who reside inside of it. While society can not be explained from the macro level, it can also not be explained without it. By reviewing the concept of gay/lesbian marriage from through Gidden's theory, a clearer view of society emerges. Gidden's argues that there is a duality to social structure. While it is created by those who live in it, they are also bound to follow its' rules (Fuchs 1). While it is clearly ever changing, there are also certain areas which remain static, based upon the culture that is being reviewed. Gay/lesbian marriage is an issue that is currently affecting all cultures, causing slow changes to the status quo. In European nations, gay marriage is slowly gaining in acceptance. However, it still meets with strong disapproval in the United States. A key difference between the two societies is the religious factor. While most European countries claim Christianity as their religion, there is also a certain lax feature about religion. It is accepted that a person may or may not be religious, and that therefore not all people should be bound by religious ideals. At the same time, the United States claims