Where We Stand: Class Matters

What role does capitalism play in shaping racial and gender inequalities? How does hooks link economic oppression to systemic racism and sexism?

How does hooks’s examination of alienation, shame, and familial conflict in the text contribute to her thematic interest in the Personal and Societal Impacts of Class Mobility? Cite specific examples from the text to support your argument.

How does hooks use memoir-style storytelling to illustrate larger systemic issues relates to class? What effect does this technique have on   the impact of her arguments?

How does hooks structure her essays? Identify patterns in her Systemic Critique of Capitalist Structures—does she propose solutions, or does she primarily critique? How does her structure make her points more or less accessible to those without an academic or theoretical background?

hooks frequently employs strong imagery, metaphors, and analogies. Choose one or two of these literary devices and analyze their effectiveness in the context of the text as a whole.

How does hooks challenge mainstream feminist and anti-racist movements for their failure to fully engage with class? What solutions does she propose? Are they feasible? Why or why not?

Compare and contrast hooks’s critique of class with another major thinker, such as Karl Marx, W.E.B. DuBois, or Paulo Freire. How do their perspectives align or diverge?

How does hooks’s discussion of class relate to modern economic issues, such as wage stagnation, student debt, or the gig economy? Is her critique still relevant today?