Coney Island

            Discuss how Coney Island reflected the broader changes going on in American society at the turn of the century.
             Changes going on in American society at the turn of the century was reflected greatly through Coney Island and its amusements. This new mass culture that was brought on by the younger generation at the time demanded more opportunities outside of genteel respectability. Before the turn of the century "Victorian" values were placed upon the American society. Life was to be disciplined and refined. Social conduct had to be expressed with self-control, modesty and integrity. Hard work at all times was emphasized as the way to improve life in order to keep social order. As far as leisure time was concerned, doing something that related to your job was the only activity socially acceptable. Seriousness seemed to be the social norm at this time and this was the way life was to be lived.
             When this new generation came along with their influential changing of attitudes, opportunities to expand their knowledge and skills were now not limited by genteel middle class existence. They emerged themselves in urban industrial fields which led to the decline of "Victorian" culture order. The mood of life was to be lived in a more vigorous and exciting way and with this it led to the many cultural changes in the way people lived their lives and how they went about their activities, especially during leisure time.
             Coney Island was an amusement center that came at a time during the most critical .
             period in American history. Life was changing in social and economical ways which had to be adjusted to going on the fact that an urban industrial society was surely coming into play. Urban amusements were first came to life in 1893 with New York's Central Park and Chicago's Columbian Exposition. These two forms of recreation provided a depiction for how social conduct was to be for cultural principles.