Beyond paving the way for other characters like her in media (e.g., Bones’ Dr. Women in our study report that Scully’s character influenced their perceptions of, aspiration for, and involvement in STEM. Commentators have speculated about the “Scully Effect” for two decades – the term coined for this phenomenon – but this is the first research study to evidentially confirm it.
#STEM CAREERS THAT START WITH X PROFESSIONAL#
Scully’s media depiction of a high-achieving woman in STEM asked a generation of girls and women to imagine new professional options. She is the logical and skeptical half of the duo, constantly defying the ‘damsel in distress’ stereotype by saving the day with her wits and weapon. Her character blends traditional norms of femininity and masculinity to portray a brave, even-keeled field agent who serves as a counter-balance to her quirky and sometimes erratic partner, Fox Mulder. In the 1990s, Scully was a sharp departure from the gendered stereotype of a scientist. 7 Children start implicitly pairing men and math as early as age seven, 8 a bias that continues into adulthood. 6 This portrayal reinforces the belief that science is a male pursuit, one that is held by many children, adolescents, and adults. 5 Among the factors identified as contributing to this gender gap is a stereotype frequently rendered in entertainment media: that of a lone, “nerdy” scientist in a lab coat, commonly portrayed as a “mad scientist” or a socially awkward white man. 4 Studies have identified many causes of the STEM gender gap, including stereotypes, lack of early encouragement from parents and teachers, and gender discrimination in STEM fields. Research from the past decade definitively shows that gender differences in ability do not account for the gender gap in STEM. 2 Only 10% of graduate degrees earned by women are in STEM fields, compared to 24% of graduate degrees earned by men.
1 Women constitute about half (48%) of the college-educated workforce in the U.S., but hold less than a quarter (24%) of jobs in STEM. Women have advanced rapidly in many professional roles since the 1970s, but remain underrepresented in STEM professions.
This study was conducted by 21st Century Fox, the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, and J. This report presents the findings of the first systematic study of the influence of Dana Scully on girls and women pertaining to STEM – the “Scully Effect.” The primary questions of this research are whether Scully’s character improved women’s perceptions of STEM fields, whether she inspired girls and women to go into a STEM profession, and whether female viewers see Scully as a role model. In the world of entertainment media, where scientists are often portrayed as white men wearing white coats and working alone in labs, Scully stood out in the 1990s as the only female STEM character in a prominent, prime time television role. She is known for her objectivity, skepticism, confidence, and brilliance. Scully was one of the first multidimensional female characters in a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) field to be featured on a popular television show, and the first to play a leading role.
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Dana Scully made her mark on millions of fans who tuned in every week to watch The X-Files, a hit science-fiction drama that aired on FOX for nine seasons from 1993 to 2002, before returning to TV in 2016. In the late 1990s, one name was synonymous with a medical doctor-turned-paranormal detective: Dana Scully.
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