Equity and Philosophy at the University

Find out about the support for underrepresented groups in Philosophy, and the University's Women in Philosophy group.

Minorities and Philosophy—Victoria

We want to strengthen the profile of underrepresented groups in philosophy, so we’ve joined an international umbrella group, Minorities and Philosophy (MAP).

MAP is a collection of students in English-speaking philosophy departments that aims to examine and address issues of minority participation in academic philosophy.

Though primarily led by graduate students, MAP also relies on faculty support and encourages undergraduate participation. Through MAP’s network, students can exchange ideas on topics related to minorities and philosophy, meet and support peers, and learn from other philosophy departments. MAP chapters can choose to provide their respective departments with regular feedback on the department climate.

Though the format of MAP varies from school to school, each chapter aims broadly at addressing:

• minority issues in the profession
• theoretical issues regarding philosophy of gender, race, sexual orientation, class, disability, native language, and so on
• philosophy done from minority perspectives.

Meeting formats include: external or internal speakers, reading groups, film screenings, mentorship events for undergraduates or graduates, panel discussions, practical workshops (for example, on communication techniques, navigating stereotype threat, or implicit bias). Once a year, representatives from each participating school meet to discuss their chapter’s progress.

In the short term, MAP provides a forum for students to discuss these topics and connect with interested peers. In the long term, we hope that MAP will contribute to improved department cultures and facilitate increased participation of underrepresented groups in academic philosophy.

If you are interested in being involved in MAP—Victoria, please contact us and join our Facebook page, Minorities and Philosophy (MAP) Victoria.

Women in Philosophy

The Victoria Women in Philosophy group is an organisation whose goal is to raise awareness and address the under-representation of women in philosophy. We hope to contribute to creating an academic culture in which all those interested in philosophy, irrespective of gender, can flourish.

We strongly support the following goals:

• attracting and retaining women in philosophy
• raising awareness of implicit gender bias and stereotype threat
• ensuring fair representation of women philosophers on syllabi
• increasing visibility of women in philosophy
• ensuring greater equality in number of female speakers at workshops, seminars, and conferences
• providing support to our University female philosophy students with regard to any gender issues they may encounter.

To ask a question or raise an issue, email us.

To receive regular updates, join our Facebook group.