Resilience appears in woke thinking in various meanings. Resilience always stands in a context of systemic oppression and inequality. Consequently, it is not about individual resilience as autonomous agency but about collective resilience as resistance against societal power structures.
On the one hand, resilience is meant to mean the opposite of fragility: white fragility is present when white people react defensively as soon as they are made aware of the extent to which they are involved in the white system. Resilience then means advocating woke viewpoints, engaging as an ally, and having talent for activism: resilience is to describe the ability to advance and bring about societal changes even when resistances have to be overcome (see Negotiations).
On the other hand, resilience is also used in the context of empowerment: marginalised groups are to strengthen their political identity against the dominant society through improved resilience. Resilience refers to a kind of resistance that is demanded of them in order to resist the omnipresent power structures (see Conflict). Collective solidarity, empowerment, and recognition are to help increase the resilience of marginalised groups.
In addition, resilience plays an important role in the discourse on sustainability. Environmental resilience is to describe here the ability of systems to adapt to ecological, social, and economic challenges. The present capitalist system is allegedly not sufficiently resilient to cope with future ecological challenges.
Through a socio-ecological transformation, the system is to become more resilient, especially climate-just and sustainable. For this, climate protection and environmental protection are to be linked with the utopia of social justice (see Degrowth and Well-being). To increase environmental resilience, a radical departure from market economy principles in favour of corporatist alternatives is sought (see ESG).