The history of use of the underground men's public toilets in Taylor Square, Darlinghurst facilitates an examination of the interplay between the concepts of modernity and postmodernity and their profound impact on society. Initially built in 1907 to improve sanitation, construction of the toilets was one of the hallmarks of a city council attempting to cultivate the advancement of society via the civic environment, a concept of societal progress which borrowed heavily from the American 'City Beautiful' movement. This concept has its roots in the Enlightenment period and emphasises the faith in progression and renewal that typifies modernity. In subsequent years the toilets' use as a homosexual 'beat', or meeting place, for men fearful of persecution
Comment [A5]: The statement of purpose. This establishes the purpose of the essay (to examine), the topic (the social paradigms of modernity and postmodernity) and the specific context/focus of the examination (the subterranean public toilets in Taylor Square, Darlinghurst.) For advice on writing an introduction, go to: http://www.uts.edu.au/currentstudents/support/helps/self-helpresources/academic-writing/essay-writing Page 2 Modernism: the City Beautiful The concept of modernity is one that evokes the energy of constant change in pursuit of a higher truth or state of being for humanity. Gascoigne (2002, p. 10) describes this process of progress as a 'willingness to accept change for future advantage and a confidence that the application of reason would ultimately mean a better world'. While the foundations of modernity reach back to at least the 16th century, the Enlightenment period of great scientific discoveries and advancements in the 18th century (Berman 2010, p. 16) exploded the monarchical and religious strictures which had dominated society. This scientific and philosophical development inspired a new approach to propel societal improvement through analysis and experimentation (Gascoigne 2002, p.