Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds

In the context of social movements and organizing, the concept of critical mass relates to the sufficient number of something needed to complete a certain goal. It may relate to the minimum number of voters, signatures, volunteers, or attendees needed for a specific political outcome to be achieved, for example. brown argues against prioritizing critical mass in social movements and instead calls attention to the need for critical connections.

brown uses the definition of “emergence” that author and speaker Nick Obolensky provides, which emphasizes the power of small, interconnected actions in creating transformative change. It acknowledges the limitations of rigid control and suggests that meaningful social shifts can arise organically from interactions and relationships. In social justice work, emergence encourages decentralized decision-making, collaboration, and adaptability. By nurturing connections, social movement members can collectively navigate and shape the changes they envision.

Pleasure Activism is a concept that highlights the importance of pleasure, in all its forms, as an integral component of social and political movements. It challenges the notion that changing the world is just another form of work and emphasizes the need to prioritize and center pleasure, desire, and self-care in the pursuit of justice, recognizing that sustainable and transformative change can emerge from spaces of joy. After the publication of Emergent Strategies, brown published Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good (2019) to further develop her thoughts on this.

Somatics refers to the field of study and practice that emphasizes integrating mind, body, and movement. Generative somatics, a specific approach discussed by brown, combines principles and practices from somatic work to social justice and healing. It focuses on embodied experiences—in brown’s case, aikido and meditation, among others—and recognizes the interconnection between personal and collective well-being, offering tools to work on both.

Speculative fiction is a broad literary genre that includes imaginative and speculative narratives that explore social, political, and cultural possibilities that differ from the current reality. brown discusses speculative fiction as a powerful tool for envisioning and shaping change before actualizing it in the world.

Transformative justice is an approach that challenges traditional punitive models of justice and seeks to address harm and violence through processes of healing, restoration, and accountability. brown explores the impact of transformative justice in relationship conflicts and the social movement space.

Visionary fiction, as defined by Walidah Imarisha, is a genre that combines elements of speculative fiction with a focus on the connection of mind, body, and spirit. It explores themes such as spirituality, human consciousness, and transformative experiences and often involves narratives that inspire readers to envision a more just and equitable world.