Final answer:
Hypodescent is considered a human construct because it stems from social ideology rather than scientific evidence, with race being a categorization not supported by genetics. There is more genetic variation within racial groups than between them, and characteristics used to define race do not create discrete categories. Race has been used historically for discrimination and subordination and lacks a valid biological basis.
Step-by-step explanation:
The idea of hypodescent is considered a human construct mostly because it is an ideology based on the categorization of human beings into races, which lacks a basis in natural phenomena. Anthropologists, geneticists, and biologists agree that the concept of race is not scientifically valid due to the immense genetic variation within purported racial groups, which far exceeds the genetic differences between these groups. Characteristics like skin color, facial features, or blood type show more variation within these groups than between them, invalidating the idea of discrete biological races. Notions of race have originated from historical and social contexts, such as economic systems and laws, that benefit certain groups over others.
For example, skin color varies continuously from pale to dark brown, and traits once used to assign race are combined among individuals in ways that make racial categories scientifically inaccurate. The continuance of adopting racial categories in research has potential for confusion and harm, as seen in cases like The Bell Curve, which inaccurately posited that genetics determine intelligence, leading to racist justifications. Scientific racism, once a prevalent ideology, has been debunked by substantial evidence that refutes the biological-racial basis for many human traits, including intelligence.
Race, as a social construct, is powerful and has been used for discrimination, subordination, and also for creating social solidarity and affirmative action. It's important for both the scientific community and society at large to distinguish between ancestry and race and to shift the focus onto ancestry to gain a clearer understanding of human genetic diversity and to mitigate the harm caused by erroneous racial categorizations.