How is race primarily understood in modern anthropological perspectives?

In modern anthropological perspectives, race is primarily understood as a construct that reflects a history of group inequality. This view emphasizes that race is not a biologically inherent or immutable characteristic but rather a social and cultural framework shaped by historical contexts, power dynamics, and socio-economic factors. It highlights how societal structures and historical events, such as colonization, slavery, and systemic discrimination, have influenced the categorization of people into different racial groups.

Anthropologists recognize that race has significant implications for identity formation, social interactions, and access to resources, which varies across different societies and periods. This understanding encourages a focus on the social implications of race and challenges notions of racial hierarchies grounded in misleading biological determinism. Thus, the recognition of race as a construct signifies the importance of examining historical and cultural contexts to understand the complexities of racial identities and inequalities today.