Seeing Possibility: How Representation Shapes Who Becomes
You can't be what you can't see. — Marian Wright Edelman
From Visibility to Viability
Marian Wright Edelman’s line captures a simple but powerful mechanism: if identities and paths are invisible, they feel unavailable. Children and adults alike assemble their sense of the possible from cues around them—faces in leadership, names in textbooks, and voices at the table. When certain people are missing, ambition narrows by default, not by choice. In this light, representation is not cosmetic; it is infrastructural. It supplies the mental blueprints that let someone say, “People like me do this.” as a prelude to “I can do this.” The idea echoes Rudine Sims Bishop’s “mirrors and windows” (1990): we need mirrors to see ourselves reflected and windows to imagine what else we can become.
Social Learning and Cognitive Maps
Moving from intuition to theory, Bandura’s Social Learning Theory (1977) explains how we model behavior by observing others, translating exposure into self-efficacy. Likewise, Markus and Nurius’s “possible selves” framework (1986) shows that vivid images of who we might be organize motivation and persistence. When the environment offers few exemplars, the map of possible selves is sparse; effort stalls not from a lack of talent but from a lack of landmarks. Conversely, each visible role model enlarges the map, normalizing stretch goals and making effort feel warranted. Thus, seeing is not merely believing—it is planning.
Evidence from Classrooms and Councils
Empirically, these dynamics hold. Carrell, Page, and West (AEJ: Applied, 2010) found that exposure to female STEM professors increased women’s course performance and likelihood of majoring in STEM, suggesting that instructor identity reshapes trajectories. Beyond campuses, a natural experiment in India showed parallel effects: when village council seats were randomly reserved for women, girls’ aspirations rose and their educational attainment improved (Beaman, Duflo, Pande, and Topalova, Science, 2012). In both settings, visibility functioned as permission—and as proof—that futures previously deemed exceptional could become ordinary.
Screens, Stories, and the Scully Effect
Cultural narratives amplify or constrict the imaginable. The Geena Davis Institute’s “Scully Effect” report (2018) documented that women viewers of The X-Files’ Dr. Dana Scully were more likely to consider STEM careers, crediting a credible, competent on-screen scientist. Similarly, the Institute has reported that Doc McStuffins encouraged young girls—especially girls of color—to imagine medical careers (2016). Even dramatized history helps: Hidden Figures (2016) brought NASA mathematicians Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson to mainstream attention, offering fresh mirrors to students who rarely saw themselves in spaceflight stories. When stories diversify who solves problems, audiences diversify who tries.
Countering Stereotype Threat with Counterexamples
Representation also mitigates stereotype threat—the fear of confirming a negative stereotype—which can depress performance (Steele and Aronson, 1995). Dasgupta’s “stereotype inoculation” model (Psychological Inquiry, 2011) argues that exposure to skilled, relatable ingroup experts builds resilience, buffering individuals in high-pressure, identity-charged contexts. Put simply, seeing competent people who share your identity reframes difficulty: a setback signals learning, not misfit. Thus, representation is not only aspirational; it is protective.
Beyond Tokenism: The Need for Critical Mass
However, a lone exemplar is fragile. Kanter’s analysis of tokenism (1977) shows that when underrepresented groups remain tiny minorities, scrutiny and stereotype amplification persist. Here, intersectionality matters: barriers compound for those at the crossroads of race, gender, class, disability, or immigration status (Crenshaw, 1989). Therefore, visibility must scale to critical mass and be paired with resources—fair evaluation, sponsorship, and clear advancement paths—so that ‘you can see one’ becomes ‘you can be many.’
Designing Pathways Where Possibility Is Visible
Finally, translating principle into practice means engineering everyday visibility. Organizations can audit imagery, syllabi, panels, and recruitment funnels; expand mentorship and sponsorship; and measure outcomes, not just optics. Schools can invite practitioners who mirror student demographics and integrate biographies across curricula, not just during heritage months. Media creators can cast inclusively and consult communities early to ensure authenticity. Across domains, the through line remains: make role models ordinary, support them structurally, and keep them in sight long enough for others to follow.