The Scully Effect: the importance of representation

Gillian Anderson, an American actress, has portrayed Dana Katherine Scully since 1993, a medical doctor and FBI agent in the well known television series The X-Files.

But why has this character been talked about so much, and still is today. To understand this, it is necessary to analyze the media context of the 1990s. During that period, women on television were often reduced to secondary roles, they represented wives, mothers, workers or had a purely aesthetic function.

Then Scully broke the pattern.

She was not simply the sidekick of her male colleague, Fox Mulder, but his equal in every respect. Together they investigate mysterious cases and paranormal phenomena.Reasoning ability, scientific rigor, professionalism, a strong and meticulous personality, traits more commonly attributed to male characters, are what define her. The opposite is true for her colleague, who is often absent minded and less rational, unlike what one would expect from a man, or at least from the stereotypical figure that is often presented to us.

The introduction of a character like Agent Scully into the television world had a concrete impact on reality, it is no coincidence that we speak of the “Scully Effect”, a phenomenon studied by the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Mediain collaboration with 21st Century Fox.

According to the report they shared, a study conducted on 2000 women showed that 63% of those who knew Scully’s character felt more confident in their ability to succeed in a STEM profession. 50% stated that her role generated a greater interest in scientific subjects. About two thirds of women working in STEM fields consider Scully a role model. Finally, almost all participants found in her a point of reference for girls and women. The data show that the “Scully Effect” is tangible proof that representation in media is not an aesthetic detail, but a motivational factor and a driver of real change.

From the point of view of the Geena Davis Institute, images, narratives and characters in media shape our vision of the world and provide guidance on how to live, what to aspire to or how to overcome difficulties.

Being represented can mean feeling legitimized, recognizing oneself, finding models to look up to, representation is able to deconstruct stereotypes embedded in our minds, making room for more truthful images and ideas.

If children, or in this case especially girls, only see male scientists in media, they internalize the idea that science is not for them.

When a figure like Dana Scully appears in prime time, it shows that there is not just one type of woman, nor a single way of being a scientist.

Visibility and inclusion mean promoting the idea that a career in science, technology, medicine or engineering can also be female. The data published between 2018 and 2023 by UNESCO, according to which women represent only 35% of graduates in scientific disciplines, 26% of those employed in data science and 15% of engineers, show that the path towards gender equality is still long. Giving visibility to non stereotypical characters contributes to breaking down these barriers.

The Scully Effect reminds us that if you can see it, you can become it.