Final answer:
Race as a social construct is the belief that race is a created concept designed to maintain power structures, not a biological reality. It emphasizes that systemic racism is perpetuated through socially constructed racial categories, enforced by stereotypes and unearned privileges.
Step-by-step explanation:
The theoretical position and political movement that believes race is not a biological reality but a socially constructed concept used to oppress and exploit people of color is known as social construction of race. This school of thought contends that racial categories were created based on pseudoscience, and used to justify systemic racism. Institutions and societies have perpetuated racial inequality through this constructed idea of race.
Historically, scientific racism provided bogus biological justifications for racism, presenting certain races as superior or inferior to others, which has been widely discredited. The social construction of race is reinforced by stereotypes, maintains the subordinate position of certain groups, and is preserved by unearned advantages like white privilege. Critical race theorists argue that to understand and address racial inequalities effectively, the concept of 'Whiteness' as a foundation for racial hierarchy must be deconstructed and transformed.