Cooperation as a social environment regulator in a globalizing economy

The purpose of this study was to determine the current positions of cooperatives and the cooperative movement around the world in the context of globalization (taking into account the historical aspect). As a result of the research, the authors identified the main features of the current stage of globalization, the positive and negative aspects of this process which in one way or another affected the activities of cooperatives. The study defined the main prerequisites, goals, threats and opportunities for the development of the world cooperative movement, revealed trends in changing cooperation forms, generalized the world experience of the cooperatives’ contribution to the economy of different countries.