Final answer:
The majority of anthropologists agree that race is a social construct, not scientifically valid, with greater variation within populations than between them, and different cultures categorize race uniquely. Ethnicity, unlike race, is more changeable and is shaped by social factors rather than biology.
Step-by-step explanation:
When examining race, the majority of anthropologists agree that:
Different cultures categorize race differently
- Ethnicity is more changeable than race
- Our shared American focal vocabulary of race shapes how people act and think
- There is more variation within populations than between them
- All of the above
Anthropologists understand that race is a social construct with no scientifically valid basis in biology. The concept of race changes across cultures and time, often tying to superficial physical characteristics rather than concrete genetic differences. As evidence suggests, there is significantly more genetic variation within any given population than between different populations, making the categorization into distinct racial groups scientifically flawed. Moreover, constructs of race continue to have profound social implications, influencing how societies assign identity and status, despite their lack of biological grounding.