CRITIQUES OF NEOREALISM: ALEXANDER WENDT'S CONSTRUCTIVIST MODEL
CRITIQUES OF NEOREALISM: ALEXANDER WENDT'S CONSTRUCTIVIST MODEL

Summary/Abstract: This article examines Alexander Wendt’s social constructivist critique of the Neorealist paradigm in İnternational Relations. While Neorealism explains state behavior through material power distribution and the logic of survival in an anarchic system, it fails to account for how identities and interests are socially constructed. Drawing on Wendt’s framework, the study highlights the importance of norms, culture, and intersubjective meanings in shaping international politics. The analysis emphasizes the distinction between micro- and macro-structures, the causal and constitutive effects of social interactions, and the role of shared knowledge in the reproduction of systemic order. By situating Wendt’s constructivism as a middle ground between positivist and post-positivist approaches, the article shows how this perspective expands the explanatory capacity of İnternational Relations theory. The findings suggest that constructivism not only critiques the deterministic ontology of Neorealism but also offers a more dynamic framework for explaining cooperation, identity transformation, and systemic change. İn conclusion, the study argues that integrating constructivist insights with materialist analysis provides a more comprehensive understanding of contemporary international politics and contributes to the development of hybrid approaches in the discipline.

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