Приватна власність та економічна ментальність українців: “Захід” чи “Схід”? (формулювання гіпотези соціологічного дослідження)

The focus of the study is laid on the analysis of the expediency of sociological research of economic mentality of the Ukrainians as one of the grounds for social legitimacy and legitimation of private property in Ukraine. Economic mentality is defined as common for a certain social community economic psychological fundamentals, which enable management subjects to perceive, interpret and evaluate surrounding socioeconomic reality in quite the same way. The analysis of the documents and the scientists’ thoughts gave an opportunity to formulate the hypothesis of civilizational localisation of economic mentality of the Ukrainians taking into account first of all legitimacy/illegitimacy of private property. Within binary opposition “West” ? “East” Ukrainian mentality is localised in the following way: {“West”} North American (Canadian) mentality ? West European (German) mentality ? East European (Ukrainian) mentality ? Eurasian (Russian) mentality ? Asiatic mentality {“East”}.