A Conceptual History: Historical Sociological Analysis of Unipolarity in Structural Realist Literature/Bir Kavramsal Tarih: Yapisal Gercekci Literaturde Tek Kutuplulugun Tarihsel Sosyolojik Analizi

Unipolarity has been taken for granted and remains unquestioned in the International Relations literature. This article provides the conceptual history of unipolarity by bringing an immanent critique. It shows the evolution of unipolarity literature in the absence of counterbalancing in four stages. It focuses on the use of history in structural realism and brings a historical sociological perspective to the literature to show how tempocentric theorizing impaired the understanding of unipolarity as a distinct structure. The article concludes by underlying the importance of noticing the cost of reification of concepts for theorizing and by highlighting that unipolarity is still understudied both theoretically and methodologically. Keywords: Post-Cold War Period, Change, Balance of Power, Hard Balancing, Soft Balancing Tek kutupluluk kavrami Uluslararasi Iliskiler literaturunde verili kabul edildiginden sorgulanmamistir. Makale, iceriden elestiri getirerek tek kutuplulugun kavramsal tarihini sunmakta ve dengelemenin yoklugunda gelisen tek kutupluluk literaturunun evrimini dort asamada gostermektedir. Makale, tarihsel sosyolojik perspektife dayanarak yapisal gercekci teorinin temposentrizminin tek kutuplulugun kendine has bir yapi olarak tanimlanmasini nasil geciktirdigini gostermektedir. Sonuc olarak, makale verili kabul edilen ve sorgulanmayan kavramlarin kuramsallastirmayi durdurdugunun altini ci zmekte ve tek kutuplulugun hem teorik hem de metodolojik olarak yeterince calisilmamis olduguna dikkat cekmektedir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Soguk Savas Sonrasi Donem, Degisim, Gucler Dengesi, Sert Dengeleme, Yumusak Dengeleme