Research of the role of cooperation in the economic thought of the Ukrainian diaspora

Abstract

The article analyzes the research of the role of cooperation in the scientific heritage of Ukrainian diaspora’s economists, whose efforts in the late XIX – early XXI centuries created many professional works on the history of the cooperative movement. The review of the works of Ukrainian diaspora economists by the author is carried out on the basis of a civilizational paradigm and the systemic approach. The selected methodological basis allowed to consider a number of scientific works as such that reveal cooperation on the territory of Ukraine as a systemic phenomenon, whose functioning was influenced by other subsystems of society (political, social, spiritual and cultural ones). It is emphasized that the scientists of the Ukrainian diaspora presented a holistic picture of the organizational formation and functioning of Ukrainian cooperation, and analysis is made of its specific and regional features. It is noted that immigrant economists played an important role in the recovery of cooperation, first of all, in the agricultural sector, seeing in this organizational form a possible way to create large agricultural enterprises provided the small-scale peasant ownership is maintained. It is noted that the representatives of the Ukrainian diaspora paid considerable attention to the deepening of theoretical study on the problems of cooperation. It is concluded that the role of cooperation in the research of scientists of the Ukrainian diaspora was reflected in the following factors: first, cooperation was a factor of economic selforganization of Ukrainians; second, it helped to improve the lives of its participants; thirdly, cooperation caused a rise of general and economic education; and fourth, the cooperative movement positively influenced the growth of national consciousness and selfidentification of Ukrainians. It is emphasized that it is important to pay attention to the each individual scientist own attitude to the role of cooperation in the economic life of Ukrainian society and their author's ideas regarding the construction of an integral national economic system. The author sees prospects for further research in this direction in expanding the field of research on the role of cooperation in the scientific heritage of the Ukrainian diaspora, namely, in the study of its importance for the formation of the ideas of Ukrainian economic nationalism.