Our Purpose and Function

MAP International is a collection of students in 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. Currently, MAP has 121 chapters throughout the world.

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 (a) minority issues in the profession, (b) theoretical issues regarding philosophy of gender, race, sexual orientation, class, disability, native language, etc, and (c) 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 (e.g., on communication techniques, navigating stereotype threat or implicit bias).

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. For a brief intro, see our post on the APA blog. A brief chronology can be found here.