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Marisa Jones

Professor Granillo

English 103

25 Novemer 2019

What Made Her Think She Could Ever Compete with a Man?

According to Bloomberg, women make more than 85% of the consumer purchases in the

United States, and ostensibly influence over 95% of total goods and services purchased. Within

the retail realm, the typical sporting goods store advertises to their idea of the normal “athlete,”

typically male. The marginalization of women and the disabled person are demonstrated by the

lack of representation of both in the retail setting. Dicks Sporting Goods, a sporting goods store,

promotes exclusivity among its consumers by only offering items to the able-bodied individual.

Therefore, the inequities presented at Dicks Sporting Goods greaten the entrapment of women to

the patriarchal ideal, that she is secondary. In conjunction with disability studies the standards

that are presented posit that disabled bodies need to be contorted to fit society's current standards

of beautiful and normal. Furthermore, Dicks Sporting Goods tells the disabled person, with

inclusion of women, that their differences are unacceptable for an athlete; yet, through use of

positive activism, marketing, and the supplying of merchandise for women and the disabled body

the message spread can become inclusive.

Dicks Sporting Goods is a large American sports retail store, with over 800 stores. The

average shopper varies at this store, but typically tends to be the young adult or parents shopping

for their child. The main competitor that faces Dicks Sporting Goods is Big 5 Sporting Goods.

Big 5 Sporting Goods is much smaller in size and volume of inventory, but they do carry a

greater variety of sporting goods; such as archery, ammunition, water sports etc. Yet, among
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both stores men's and boy's articles are much more abundant throughout. Both stores are similar

in what they offer, it can be stated that the average sporting goods stores marginalizes the

disabled and female body. The store of this essay is in Santa Clarita, California. From the outside

there are two large glass panels that face the parking lot, the images contained are of a teenage

male baseball player and a middle-aged male golf player. The logo centered above the building

contains the small images of a soccer ball, baseball, basketball, and golf ball within the

apostrophe of the word. Yet, what the store contains inside speaks the most for the company.

The automatic doors open and to the right are shopping carts for use. Additionally, there

is one mobile cart available for use. The enormity of building is overwhelming. It is a single-

story building boasting over 60 thousand square feet; yet, the “average” individual cannot help

but to feel cramped and stuck in their tight aisles. The store is divided by gender. Women’s and

children’s clothing are presented on the right and men on the left side. The displays and use of

mannequins throughout the store are of the able-bodied individual. At the far back is the

footwear department divided in the same fashion as the clothing department. The far left of the

store beyond the men’s is all the sporting goods. In the children's department there is an evident

disparity between the boys and girl clothing selections. Lastly, within sporting goods, the items

offered for the women of a sport are substantially fractional in comparison to the men's selection.

The layout of the store and chosen displays tell of an underlying message.

Upon browsing through women's clothing, it is made apparent that they are designed and

modeled for a select group of women. The clothing that is offered is made for the patriarchal

woman, by the patriarchy. The patriarchal woman in Louis Tyson’s Critical Theory Today is

defined as “a woman who has internalized the norms and values of the patriarchy… as any

culture that privileges men by promoting traditional gender roles” (81). Women being brought up
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in a patriarchal society endure cultural programming and thus are socially constructed to be a

feminine woman (Tyson 82). The women’s clothes offered at Dicks Sporting Goods are of the

patriarchy’s definition of feminine; they are sexualizing to a women's figures, the clothes are

tight, short, brightly colored, and marketed to the “sexy” body type. Frankly, the above

description of all the clothing would be considered uncomfortable by many women. While the

men’s clothing is seen to be dark in color and loose fitting, a “comfortability” look is achieved

for men. Therefore, the clothing offered essentialize that the type of women that should shop

there are those who are young, fit, “beautiful,” and present as feminine. Use of language is the

stronghold of the patriarchy. That being so, deconstructing the definition and presentation of

feminine in the retail environment must occur in order to showcase equality among the genders

in the athletic world. The woman is marginalized in the clothing section of a retailer as well as

the disabled body of a man or woman.

Of the clothing that is available for purchase, there are minimal options for the disabled.

The theories of feminism and critical disability studies have great intersectionality and are thus

coined as feminist disability studies. However, to understand the above concept the word

disability must be defined. To be disabled is to have a body which is considered and viewed as

socially and medically abnormal or to have a woman’s body (Garland- Thomson 10). The

disabled body is viewed as needed to be fixed in some way. In the journal “Integrating

Disability, Transforming Feminist Theory” the external forces that pressure a disabled person are

as follows “together, the gender, race, ethnicity, sexuality, class, and ability systems exert

tremendous social pressures to shape, regulate, and normalize subjugated bodies” (Garland-

Tompson 10). The subjugated bodies are the disabled bodies, and at a sporting goods store the

clothing offered across the men’s and women’s department do not fit the disabled body. To
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illustrate, throughout the women’s Nike clothing all the sweaters seen have zippers or have

funnel hoodies, these are not made to be accessible for the disabled person. They may not have

well developed fine motor skills. Thus, the disabled person is made to feel less human because of

their inequities in bodily abilities and their inability to fit the mold that society would dictate.

The disabled cannot contort their body to fit the clothes offered, they are forced to shop

elsewhere. Yet, the fact that disabled people are active and able to participate in athletic sports

and events is disregarded, even with the existence of sporting events such as the Paralympics.

Sporting stores must converge with brands and companies that produce inclusive clothing for all

body types; such as clothing that has adhesive clasps or magnetic fastenings. Not only is the

choice of clothing limited but the availability of clothes is minimal in comparison to the men’s

department.

When walking through the store thoroughly there is the thought of the layout and its

intentionality. The entire right side of the store is occupied by the women’s and children’s

department yet, the right side is dedicated to solely the men’s department (Tiyisambadehlot

Guerra). The strategic placement of the women’s and children’s departments together is

representative of the patriarchy’s assigned role of women. In Simone de Beauvoir’s book The

Second Sex she states, “femininity is a kind of ‘prolonged childhood’ that sets women apart from

the ‘ideal type of the race.’…the role of this purely affective being is that of spouse and

housewife, no match for man” (160). The excerpt explains that women and children are regarded

as on the same level, they are inept in all ways and most importantly, inferior to men. The

placement of the women’s and children’s department reinforce Simone de Beauvoir’s stated

belief of the patriarchy that women are only capable of being the caretaker for those who are

unable to care for themselves. The patriarchal view of motherhood is oppressive in that it has
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been created as a social rite of passage for women and its ultimate motive is to increase the

submission of women (Heavner). Motherhood is a tile that becomes a part of her identity, one

that does not describe who she distinctly is as an individual. Shopping at a sports retail store like

the mentioned above works to reinforce the oppressive identity of motherhood onto a woman,

deeming her only useful for caretaking and spousal duties. Therefore, each department must be

given equal space to showcase quality among the sexes and genders. A great intersectionality of

being woman and disabled exists while navigating within the walls of Dicks Sporting Goods.

When an individual’s identity contains both woman and disabled, either visible or

invisible, she will endure discrimination and disadvantages every day. The layout of the

departments within Dicks Sporting Goods prove hardly accessible for the disabled woman.

Every individual’s identity is the result of intersectionality (Tyson 352). Intersectionality is when

the parts of an individual’s identity, such as class, race, sex, sexual orientation etc. overlap to

form a complex identity. One’s complex identity leads to subjugation from multiple sources. The

five tenants of feminist disability theory are as follows “…engages several of the fundamental

premises of critical theory: 1) that representation structures reality, 2) that the margins define the

center, 3) that gender (or disability) is a way of signifying relationships of power, 4) that human

identity is multiple and unstable, 5) that all analysis and evaluation have political implications”

(Garland-Thompson 6). The way in which a disabled woman is hindered by society’s view is

never ending.

For the disabled woman shopping at Dicks Sporting Goods in hopes of purchasing

clothing and equipment needed for hiking she will have to circumnavigate the store. She will

first have to shop within the cramped sections of the women’s outdoors clothing placed near the

entrance of the store, to the right. Secondly, if she needs shoes, she will head to the back far right
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of the store. Lastly, to find the necessary equipment she will venture to the far left behind the

men’s clothing, and hopefully there she can acquire the necessary supplies needed. Yet, for the

disabled or able-bodied man the athletic equipment they may need is conveniently placed behind

their gendered department.

The difficulty faced by disabled women in trying to attain all the necessary sports

clothing and equipment reinforces that they are not meant to be participate in sports. Most

importantly their bodies and identities do not embody society’s ideal athlete. The lack of regard

for the disabled woman’s body in the sports retail setting affirms that their subjugated bodies are

deficient and profligate (Garland-Thomson 8). Activism must occur in order to bridge the gap

that exists between the greater acceptance of the male disabled body over the female disabled

body. Equality for disabled people is greatly dependent on “cultural symbolization,” sociologist

Nancy Eiseland asserts that society view of the disabled person must be reshaped in order to

garner acceptance (Garland-Tompson 23). This would be most effective through visual

marketing in the retail setting. But truly the greatest form of activism is through academia and

the integration of disability theory into the lives of every American (Garland-Thomson 28). In

each sporting department exists a gendering of items and the availability for each is substantially

different.

Dicks Sporting Goods perpetuates that women and the disabled person are not meant to

have careers in the athletic field. The upholding of traditional gender roles is displayed

throughout the stores specific sport sections. Many athletes who shop at Dicks Sporting Goods

have dreams of becoming professional. Yet, for the female softball player shopping the

department she will find minimal items that will suffice and subsequently, she will be offered to

order the items online. However, her male counterparts in baseball will find everything they are
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looking for and if not, they can travel locally to another store and get their needed items

immediately. For comparison the men’s baseball department will have around fourteen aisles of

baseball gloves and equipment, all while, women’s softball gloves and equipment’s shares one

and a half aisles. The sight is shocking for the average consumer walking the aisles at Dicks

Sporting Goods. In 2014 the company received a letter from a 14-year-old female basketball

player who upon viewing their basketball catalog saw not a single female basketball player

portrayed; yet, there was women sitting in the bleachers of a photo. Ed Stack the CEO responded

with “I'm sorry, we clearly messed up and I can personally guarantee that next year's basketball

catalog will prominently feature female athletes, as it should have this year” (Kabas).

Furthermore, a representative said they would look into featuring more women (Kabas). Their

marketing graphics have become more inclusive of the female athlete however the contents

within the store still promote exclusivity among athletes.

The reasons for male athletes superseding their female counterparts in the athletic world

is best explained by Simone de Beauvoir. In her book The Second Sex she tells of the struggle for

woman’s employment as “the woman who seeks her independence through work has far fewer

possibilities than her masculine competitors…and for the same job, the woman is paid less.

Because she is new to the world of males, she has fewer chances of success than they” (188).

Women’s rights have only been relevant since 1920 when voting was first recognized for

woman; sadly, women have always held an inferior role in society. The body of a woman is

viewed as not as capable as a man therefore they are viewed as undeserving of equal

opportunities. Moreover, her body deems her “other” she is not a person on her own accord, she

belongs to a man because she is not fully developed in comparison to him (Tyson 92). Retail

settings must work towards promoting inclusivity among their departments, women should feel
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welcome when shopping as they make up their largest consumers. As the only large sporting’s

store left Dicks should actively work towards promoting female athletes, whether through the

sponsorships of female athletes and or the increasing of inventory for more female sports apparel

and equipment. As with women, the disabled body faces many hindrances on the road to their

aspirations.

The selection available within certain sporting departments expands on society’s views of

the capabilities of the disabled female or male. The use of public space can lend it’s self to being

comforting, manipulative, or both regardless of the creator’s initial intentions. In The World is a

Text by Jonathon Silverman and Dean Rader space speaks to the person viewing it as, “who

inhabits that space, what is the space used for, and how are we to read that space” (145). The use

of space within the footwear department at Dicks Sporting Goods places many assumptions on

who is to shop the public space. For a specific example, the basketball footwear contains 23

styles marketed for men and 4 women’s styles (Tiyisambadehlot Guerra). The disabled man and

woman are both placed at a disadvantage in this department, none of the shoes offered have

adhesive straps nor does the store offer a shoehorn to allow ease for the disabled person trying on

shoes.

However, in Margaret Lloyds journal “Does She Boil Eggs? Towards a Feminist Model

of Disability” the greater differences among men and women are distinguished as “a careful

scrutiny of disabled people’s aspirations and experiences in the key areas of education and

employment reveals subtle and interesting variations for disabled women…the disadvantage and

discrimination experienced by disabled people is simply exacerbated for disabled women” (209).

The disabled female faces greater struggles in their limited selections, therefore they cannot even

attempt to make some of the four available styles work. The indifferences noted further Dicks
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Sporting Goods need to create activism among all athletes and additionally to partner with

brands which create disabled friendly clothing. The concepts and activism mentioned can work

together to create an inclusive environment for all athletes.

The use of public space tells many messages to the one who navigates within said space.

Dicks Sporting Goods perpetuates that only able-bodied males can become successful athletes

and pursue a career in sports. Furthermore, the disabled body, including a woman’s body, is not

given consideration in its athletic capabilities and needs. Women are shown as inferior

throughout the store with their use of marketing, their selection of clothing, and placement and

quantity of gendered apparel and equipment. In order to alleviate the discrimination and

subjugation that women and the disabled face, society must change their outlook on what posits

normal. This will primarily take place in academia but then move into reshaping society.

Equality needs to be attained and normalized among these subjugated peoples. Through

awareness of these inequities then can visual media begin to make an impact on the consumers of

Dicks Sporting Goods. The supply of disabled friendly products and representation of women

and the disabled will propel the company into inclusivity among their demographic.
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Works Cited

Beauvoir, Simone. The Second Sex. Translated by Constance Borde, Vintage Books a Division of

Random House, 2009, https://uberty.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/1949_simone-de-

beauvoir-the-second-sex.pdf

Dicks Sporting Goods. Managed by Tiyisambadehlot Guerra, 2004. Santa Clarita, California.

Garland-Thomson, Rosemarie. “Integrating Disability, Transforming Feminist Theory.” NWSA

Journal, Vol. 14, No. 3, Feminist Disability Studies (Autumn, 2002), pp. 1-32.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/4316922

Heavner, Caitlin. “Patriarchy Constructs Motherhood.” Medium, Applied Intersectionality, 25

March 2017, https://medium.com/applied-intersectionality/patriarchy-constructs-

motherhood-e24a495f2084

Lloyd, Margaret. “Does She Boil Eggs? Towards a Feminist Model of Disability.” Disability,

Handicap & Society, vol. 7, no. 3, 1992, pp. 207–221. EBSCOhost,

doi:10.1080/02674649266780231.

Tyson, Lois. “African American Criticism,” Critical Theory Today. Routledge, 2015, pp.343-392.

Tyson, Lois. “Feminist Criticism,” Critical Theory Today. Routledge, 2015, pp.79-126.

Silverman, Jonathon and Rader, Dean. The World is a Text. Broadview Press, 2018, pp. 139-

160.
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