Final answer:
Dividing people into races can be seen as an act of racism, particularly institutional racism, encompassing prejudice and power to unjustly categorize and affect individuals based on race.
Step-by-step explanation:
The act of dividing people into races can be considered an act of racism, prejudiced action against a group of people, or more specifically, institutional racism when it is embedded in social institutions that have significant power to affect individuals based on race. This concept highlights the social construction of race and acknowledges the history of racism, including discriminatory practices like segregation and beliefs in racial superiority. Moreover, it encompasses the mechanisms, such as genocide and expulsion, by which a dominant group may deliberately oppress a subordinate group. Terms like scientific racism also touch upon how historical pseudo-scientific assertions served to justify such divisions and mistreatment.
Academic and societal definitions acknowledge the central role of power in defining and enforcing racism. The act of dividing based on race has been used historically to justify oppressive systems, such as slavery, Jim Crow laws, and antimiscegenation laws, and continues to have implications in the present day, influencing areas like politics through practices like gerrymandering. Such divisions have been challenged and redefined over time to understand the true impact of racism on society.