ways that leisure time is spent by women has indeed benefited them in both the workplace and at home. This position requires a closer look at specific leisure activities; where and with whom they are spent, and the ultimate effect that these activities had on society and gender roles. More significantly however, is how the establishment of leisure activities for women came about, rather than the simple change in availability of such activities. First let s look at Peiss s position on the matter of how cheap amusements challenged gender traditions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

about women s roles at the turn of the century? Peiss argues initially that young women experimented with new cultural forms in terms of sexual expressiveness and social interaction with men, linking heterosocial culture to a sense of modern individuality and personal style. Creating this style was an assertion of self. Peiss

ask this question so that we can later determine if women took initiative in establishing their need for relaxing activities. If it is the case that women took initiative in this area, we can safely conclude that women benefited tremendously from the changes in gender roles as a result, because they would have subverted the so-called hollow freedoms mentioned earlier. If the opposite is true, then it may appear as though women have benefitted, but it

Women s increased attendance at commercial dance halls also served to challenge the prevailing cultural norms. At the time, Old World tradition says that dance halls are part of a vast male subculture that fostered prostitution and gambling. The old dance halls employed decoy dancers who would often solicit their male dancing partners for sexual services. The mindset toward dance halls, especially the commercial halls, was that they were unsafe.

So we can see that in most instances of leisure and pleasure activity, women were not explicitly challenging the social conditions of the day, but implicitly doing so. I agree with Peiss s statement that women were expressing the aspiration for selfhood and fulfillment but that this did not attempt to transform the web of gender and class relations in which [they] were situated. Women did not attempt to challenge their situation explicitly, nor did

between 1905 and 1914 to the popularity of the movie theater. The increased attendance implicitly challenged the traditional separate leisure times for men and women.

women s rights and they enjoy their independence and freedom. What does this reaction say about the culture and expectations that the sexes have of each other? Let s look at the situation in which women found themselves and then explore the implications of this reaction. Women rarely had true leisure time, but when they did, it was spent gossiping or resting on the doorstep with other women of the neighborhood. The men apparently expected to always have an opportunity to share in the leisure time of a woman, no matter the social setting. Contrary to this, woman see this male attitude as a threat to their individuality, as expressed in the way the word freedom is used in their

One very interesting point that Peiss makes is that there is now a market for leisure time. This market included such activities as attending shows at a nickelodeon, riding the trolley, and, especially in Manhattan, spending the day at Coney Island. What is interesting abo

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Approximate Word count = 1906
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)