Final answer:
Racial categories are culturally specific and have changed over time, evolving from ancestral and familial ties to emphasizing physical characteristics. These categories are instrumental in social dynamics but lack a biological basis, as demonstrated by more significant variation within groups than between them. Anthropological research shows the diversity in constructing racial categories across different societies.
Step-by-step explanation:
To compare and contrast racial categories, it's essential to recognize that they are deeply rooted in culture and have evolved significantly over time. Historically, racial classifications were sometimes based on geography, like Mongolia and the Caucasus Mountains, or on skin color, such as black, white, yellow, and red. Today, some countries may not use a formal racial classification, while others have 6 or even over 30 ethnic/racial categories. This demonstrates that the concept of race is a cultural construction rather than a biological reality.
These classifications intricately relate to how societies define identity and have played roles in discrimination, subordination, solidarity, and affirmative action. Over time, they have shifted from being about ancestral and familial ties to more superficial physical characteristics. It's important to note that within any racial category, there is often more variation among individuals than between different racial groups, which underscores the lack of scientific justifiability for strict biological racial classifications.
In contemporary societies, cultural anthropologists have shown how each society constructs and uses racial categories uniquely. For example, the United States' racial classifications have evolved and differ markedly from other countries like the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Japan, Kenya, or Zimbabwe. Scholars have pointed out the flaws within these systems, such as the vague 'some other race' category, highlighting the contradictions and disparities between official classifications and the lived reality of race.