11.06, 6:15-7:45pm GEO1, R.242 (hybrid)

Timothy Weldon (Department of Geography, Uni Münster)

Interdependency in an Autonomous Community: Exploring Integrated Autonomy and Intersectional/Heterarchical Power Dynamics in a Squatted Social Center

This presentation explores interdependency within autonomous communities, and challenges conventional understandings of autonomy by demonstrating the interconnected and fluid nature of social and community dynamics. Drawing upon Eastern Philosophy's integrated individual, the anarchist principles found within the community I researched, and a critical Daoist perspective on the holistic nature of (more-than) human life, I delve into the symbiotic relationship between personal and communal autonomy. First, I highlight the inherent interconnectedness of human and more-than-human social and physical dynamics; and second, I address the real-time social realities of human existence and its integration and interdependency on the needs, wants, and realities of other people surrounding us.
By examining empirical data from an intentional autonomous community, my research uncovers the fluid social dynamics and practical implications of interdependence in fostering personal and communal autonomy. My research reveals a distinctive form of “integrated autonomy” intertwined with social settings and communal objectives, where individual empowerment and autonomy is inseparable from collective strength. This understanding contrasts with the atomized individualism of Western thought, and highlights the necessity of thinking and acting collectively in order to achieve genuine personal autonomy. As an example, I focus on the community’s fluid, situational, and interdependent power and (re)production dynamics, and which I conceptualized as an “intersectional heterarchy” (rather than hierarchical or the horizontality they aspired to).
Ultimately, I conclude by synthesizing insights from Daoist principles of interconnectedness and spontaneity, the anarchist philosophy practiced in the community, and my empirical research there, to envision fluid and interdependent social dynamics that extend beyond autonomous communities and are applicable to broader societal dynamics. By promoting/offering “integrated autonomy” and advocating for an intersectional and heterarchical understanding of social dynamics, I offer new perspectives on embracing both the broader (more-than) human and individual interdependencies inherent in human existence.