Resonance in Movement: Mutuality as Collective Power in Non-Hierarchical Communities

Abstract:

This essay examines “resonance” as the energetic quality that emerges when people align in attention and action. Within the context of mutual aid, resonance operates not only as an affective experience but as a practical force shaping how communities respond to need. It arises through collective vulnerability, shared focus, and the adaptability of living systems. Drawing on the work of Judith Butler, adrienne maree brown, and Susan Sgorbati, the essay situates ‘resonance’ as both a theoretical framework and an embodied practice of non-hierarchical empowerment.

Judith Butler: Resonance Through Vulnerability and Assembly

Judith Butler’s work on collective assembly and vulnerability offers a way of understanding resonance in mutual aid. In Notes Toward a Performative Theory of Assembly, Butler argues that when people gather in shared spaces—whether in protest, vigils, or in response to crisis—they create a form of power rooted in collective vulnerability. Resonance emerges from the proximity of bodies, the recognition of presence and purpose, and the bond that forms without top-down organization.

In mutual aid networks, this resonance is evident when individuals self-organize in response to urgent needs. Rather than operating under a central authority, people communicate needs across the network, and leadership shifts fluidly based on context: one person offers resources, another shares knowledge, another connects groups across regions. Authority rests in responsiveness and knowledge rather than fixed hierarchy.

Butler’s concept of emergent power, grounded in mutual recognition and solidarity, clarifies how collective strength arises from mutuality rather than domination. Resonance becomes the organizing principle. Each presence amplifies the others and builds momentum through shared vulnerability and alignment around purpose.

adrienne maree brown: Emergent Strategy and Nature-Inspired Resilience

Where Butler emphasizes vulnerability, adrienne maree brown draws attention to adaptability. In Emergent Strategy, brown develops a framework inspired by natural systems, emphasizing resilience, interdependence, and the growth of collective power from small-scale actions. Resonance here is embedded in collective intention—an energy that builds as people align around shared purpose.

Mutual aid reflects this principle through its capacity to adapt in real time. Needs are met as they arise, with responses shaped by available skills, resources, and connections. This responsiveness mirrors ecosystems, where elements adjust and reorganize in relation to shifting conditions. Adaptability becomes the ground of resilience, allowing communities to move with change.

brown also articulates emergent leadership, where responsibility and initiative surface as required and then circulate. Leadership is not held by a single figure but moves dynamically as individuals step forward with the knowledge or capacity most relevant to the moment. In mutual aid, this creates a field of resonance where leadership flows like energy, strengthening the group through distributed action and shared motivation.

Susan Sgorbati: Emergent Improvisation and Natural Systems

brown’s attention to adaptability finds a parallel in Susan Sgorbati’s work on Emergent Improvisation, which integrates dance with complex systems science. Her practice examines adaptation, responsiveness, and relationality as embodied processes, showing how resonance emerges through mutual awareness and shared focus.

In emergent improvisation, dancers cultivate attunement to one another. Their responses generate a field of resonance perceptible both to participants and observers. The process mirrors the dynamics of mutual aid, where individuals sense and respond to needs within a network, producing strength through collective coordination. Resonance is not imposed; it grows from the circulation of attention and responsiveness, forming a living system of alignment.

This resonance also extends outward. In both improvisation and mutual aid, the surrounding community becomes part of the field by contributing, witnessing, and receiving. The effects ripple beyond the immediate circle, reinforcing interconnectedness and widening the reach of collective action.

Conclusion: Resonance as Collective Power

The perspectives of Butler, brown, and Sgorbati frame mutual aid as a practice of resonance. Each thinker illuminates a distinct facet: Butler emphasizes vulnerability and assembly, brown articulates adaptability and emergent leadership, and Sgorbati reveals the embodied dynamics of natural systems. Together they point to a form of collective power that circulates through mutual recognition, responsiveness, and shared intention.

Resonance makes visible how communities organize without domination. It is both an energetic quality and a practical structure, arising when people align in purpose and remain responsive to change. Mutual aid, like improvisation, demonstrates that resonance is generative, creating systems that sustain themselves through collective care.Resonance in ]re is a responsiveness and a natural flow to our actions, much like the way natural elements interact and adapt to shifting conditions. In mutual aid, this adaptability allows people to respond fluidly, guided by the needs of the moment rather than by rigid structures. Brown’s vision of decentralized leadership aligns perfectly with this process, suggesting that effective change happens not from the top down but from a place of shared motivation and mutual care.

In Emergent Strategy, brown emphasizes “emergent leadership”—a form of leadership that arises naturally as individuals step forward to meet the needs of the group. This leadership is dynamic, adjusting and shifting as different people bring their skills and energy into alignment with the group’s purpose. Leadership in mutual aid is not held by one individual; it moves fluidly, like energy, emerging as needed and distributing once knowledge and resources are shared among all involved. Brown’s principles of emergent strategy offer a model where power is shared, not held, reinforcing a non-hierarchical empowerment that resonates deeply within the community.