Capitalism is an economic infrastructure in which individuals and privately owned companies control systems of production and compete in a free market for profit. hooks provides a Systemic Critique of Capitalist Structures, framing it as a fundamentally exploitative system that perpetuates wealth inequality and economic oppression. She argues that capitalism requires a permanent underclass to sustain itself, ensuring that economic mobility remains largely a myth. Throughout the text, hooks challenges the idea that hard work alone can overcome class barriers, instead emphasizing how capitalism rewards those who already have privilege while keeping the working class and poor in cycles of struggle. She also links capitalism to consumerism, racialized class oppression, and the erosion of communal values, arguing that economic justice requires rethinking our relationship to money and economic systems altogether.

Class mobility—the ability to move from one economic class to another—is a central concern in Where We Stand. hooks examines both the Personal and Societal Impacts of Class Mobility, particularly for those who leave working-class backgrounds for wealthier spaces. She explores how class movement often comes at the cost of alienation from one’s origins, as well as the myth that hard work alone ensures upward mobility.