Final answer:
Sociologists would categorize blacks in apartheid South Africa as a subordinate or oppressed group, facing institutionalized discrimination and segregation. Education and social systems were weaponized to maintain racial hierarchy, but resistance movements like the ANC and leaders like Nelson Mandela challenged the status quo, leading to apartheid's end.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the era of apartheid in South Africa, sociologists would most likely categorize the black population as a subordinate or oppressed group, as they were systematically denied access to political power, excluded from the governing processes, and suffered from legalized segregation and discrimination.
Blacks were subject to a variety of racial categorization tests and were segregated in terms of where they could live, work, and receive an education. The Bantu Education Act of 1953 is an example of how education was utilized as a tool to further repress black Africans by denying them access to quality education and cultural practices. Organizations like the African National Congress (ANC) emerged to challenge the apartheid regime, and notable figures such as Nelson Mandela became symbols of the struggle for racial equality and social justice.
The end of apartheid came with reforms initiated by F. W. De Klerk's government and was characterized by the release of Nelson Mandela from prison and the dismantling of apartheid laws, ultimately leading to democratic elections in which all races could participate equally.