Research Article

Disciplinary Divides and Convergences: A Comparative Look at International Relations Scholarship in Turkey and the US

Volume: 15 Number: 2 April 24, 2026
EN

Disciplinary Divides and Convergences: A Comparative Look at International Relations Scholarship in Turkey and the US

Abstract

This article utilizes data from the 2022–2023 Teaching, Research, and International Policy (TRIP) survey, which features a sample of 176 scholars in Turkey and 979 in the US, to explore how IR scholars in both countries conceptualize their disciplinary identity, select research methods, engage with policy, and navigate academic recognition. Framed by how scholars in semiperipheral contexts relate to disciplinary cores, the study investigates whether Turkish IR reveals convergence with or divergence from global disciplinary norms. The findings highlight enduring divides: Turkish scholars demonstrate a stronger preference for qualitative, applied, and regionally focused research, whereas their American counterparts operate in a more pluralistic and post-paradigmatic scholarly environment. Nevertheless, there are signs of convergence, particularly in the increased engagement of Turkish scholars with international publications and leading theoretical approaches. This hybrid positioning highlights the fundamental contradictions within the Global IR agenda, namely the tension between inclusion and hierarchy, and between adaptation and autonomy. The article contributes to existing literature by offering a comparative, data-driven analysis of how disciplinary divisions and partial convergences influence knowledge production in different geopolitical contexts.

Keywords

References

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  5. Aydın, M. (2007). A questionnaire about scientific research and teaching practices, views on the discipline and political attitudes of international relations academicians in Turkey. Uluslararası İlişkiler, 4(5), 1–31.
  6. Aydın, M. (2025). Transformation of Turkish-Russian relations: Rivalry and cooperation in Eurasia and the Levant. Uluslararası İlişkiler, 22(85), 21–39.
  7. Aydın, M., & Dizdaroğlu, C. (2019). Türkiye’de uluslararası ilişkiler: TRIP 2018 sonuçları üzerine bir değerlendirme. Uluslararası İlişkiler, 16(64), 3–28.
  8. Aydın, M., Hisarlıoglu, F., & Yazgan, K. (2016). An analysis of international relations academics in Turkey and their approaches to the field: TRIP 2014 faculty survey results. Uluslararası İlişkiler, 12(48), 3–35.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

International Relations (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

April 24, 2026

Submission Date

July 4, 2025

Acceptance Date

February 3, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 15 Number: 2

APA
Aydın, M., & Dizdaroğlu, C. (2026). Disciplinary Divides and Convergences: A Comparative Look at International Relations Scholarship in Turkey and the US. All Azimuth: A Journal of Foreign Policy and Peace, 15(2). https://doi.org/10.20991/allazimuth.1931765
AMA
1.Aydın M, Dizdaroğlu C. Disciplinary Divides and Convergences: A Comparative Look at International Relations Scholarship in Turkey and the US. All Azimuth: A Journal of Foreign Policy and Peace. 2026;15(2). doi:10.20991/allazimuth.1931765
Chicago
Aydın, Mustafa, and Cihan Dizdaroğlu. 2026. “Disciplinary Divides and Convergences: A Comparative Look at International Relations Scholarship in Turkey and the US”. All Azimuth: A Journal of Foreign Policy and Peace 15 (2). https://doi.org/10.20991/allazimuth.1931765.
EndNote
Aydın M, Dizdaroğlu C (April 1, 2026) Disciplinary Divides and Convergences: A Comparative Look at International Relations Scholarship in Turkey and the US. All Azimuth: A Journal of Foreign Policy and Peace 15 2
IEEE
[1]M. Aydın and C. Dizdaroğlu, “Disciplinary Divides and Convergences: A Comparative Look at International Relations Scholarship in Turkey and the US”, All Azimuth: A Journal of Foreign Policy and Peace, vol. 15, no. 2, Apr. 2026, doi: 10.20991/allazimuth.1931765.
ISNAD
Aydın, Mustafa - Dizdaroğlu, Cihan. “Disciplinary Divides and Convergences: A Comparative Look at International Relations Scholarship in Turkey and the US”. All Azimuth: A Journal of Foreign Policy and Peace 15/2 (April 1, 2026). https://doi.org/10.20991/allazimuth.1931765.
JAMA
1.Aydın M, Dizdaroğlu C. Disciplinary Divides and Convergences: A Comparative Look at International Relations Scholarship in Turkey and the US. All Azimuth: A Journal of Foreign Policy and Peace. 2026;15. doi:10.20991/allazimuth.1931765.
MLA
Aydın, Mustafa, and Cihan Dizdaroğlu. “Disciplinary Divides and Convergences: A Comparative Look at International Relations Scholarship in Turkey and the US”. All Azimuth: A Journal of Foreign Policy and Peace, vol. 15, no. 2, Apr. 2026, doi:10.20991/allazimuth.1931765.
Vancouver
1.Mustafa Aydın, Cihan Dizdaroğlu. Disciplinary Divides and Convergences: A Comparative Look at International Relations Scholarship in Turkey and the US. All Azimuth: A Journal of Foreign Policy and Peace. 2026 Apr. 1;15(2). doi:10.20991/allazimuth.1931765

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