During the 1880s, women in New York had a confined sphere of responsibilities by taking care of their kids and the home that limited their interactions in the social world. This was an era where Men were responsible for working and handling the financial structure of their families and also enjoyed their leisure time interacting with other working class groups of men in the saloon. They drunk, debated politics, sympathized with family obligations and relaxed to forget tedium from hard days work whiles mothers almost had no recreation, only working everyday with occasional strolls. These activities played an important role in the social life of these men in saloons and on the streets. However, this trend was very much popular among immigrant …show more content…
For instance according Katy the number of public halls in Manhattan rose continuously in a short period, listing of 130 halls in 1885 and 195 in 1910, an increase of 50 percent and lowering admission fees for unescorted women. (Peiss, page 93). As manufacturing and mercantile industries began to expand, many young women dominated the labor force, which provided alternatives to domestic services they use to do earlier. During these periods, working class women shifted their leisure from a confined household settings and doorstep gossips to the streets and saloons gambling, drinking and socializing with men as a way to cool off after a hard days work. To these women, excursions and outings was incorporated into their traditions as a privilege to engage in social life. Even though there are differences in background and traditions, they showed a sense of togetherness that helped shaped their attitudes towards leisure. This lifestyle posed a treat to working class and their families …show more content…
The changes in labor for women therefore called for a decline in working hours to make time for leisure. Many businesses closed on weekends to give their workers some days off. This was as a result of protective legislations movements; greater work union activities among women and the sudden change of attitude of women towards leisure influence this decline. Thus, there was a high demand for leisure activities that pushed many amusement places such as Coney Island, Dreamland and Luna Park to commercialized and started expanding and heavily invested in the scope of their amusement structures (land, buildings and machinery) to meet the demands of these young working class women. The attitudes of young working class women towards leisure exposed them to many immoral acts such as prostitution, drinking and gambling on the streets, saloons, and amusement parks. They always engaged in activities geared the subject of dating and romantic affairs with men, showing their cloths and styles in public places geared toward their desire for marriage and having fun. They dressed in high-class clothing such as high-healed shoes, a chinchilla coat, freakish hats and hair dressed with artificial hairpieces. This primarily exposed them to sexual harassments, rape and