Final answer:
Sociologists and geneticists concur that race is not a biological fact but a social construct. Changes in societal definitions of race, inconsistent racial categorization across cultures, and genetic diversity studies all support this view. Race is tied to social practices and power structures, not to distinct biological categories.
Step-by-step explanation:
Sociologists argue that race isn't biological for several key reasons.
- Societal definitions of race can change over time, indicating that race is not a fixed biological category.
- Race is considered a social construct rather than a biological fact, as the way people are divided into races is based on social norms and interpretations rather than on a clear and consistent genetic basis.
- Racial categories are not consistent across different societies and cultures, suggesting the absence of a universal biological standard for race.
- Despite visible characteristics like skin color, geneticists have determined there is more genetic variation within so-called racial groups than between them, debunking the idea of biologically distinct races.
Genetic research does not support the existence of distinct racial categories as there are only minor differences among humans in the genetic markers that could be associated with race, such as skin pigmentation.
Given these findings, along with the historical and sociocultural understanding that race is embedded in social practices and power structures, it's clear that race is socio-politically constituted rather than biologically predetermined.