Final answer:
During apartheid, blacks in South Africa, despite being numerically majority, were a minority group because they were dominated by a white minority that held power.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the context of South Africa during apartheid, the correct categorization for blacks is Option 1: The blacks are the minority group. Despite being numerically a majority, sociologists would classify them as a minority group because they lacked power and were subjected to differential and unequal treatment due to their physical or cultural characteristics. The term minority group in sociological terms refers to a group that is subordinate and lacks power in society compared to the dominant group, which in the case of apartheid South Africa, was the white population.