[Phobia or fear in rural communities]

In the following paper an attempt is made to demonstrate by means of phobia that neurotic subjective experience can only be understood in its social environment. Patients with phobic symptoms far more frequently come from rural communities and small towns, i.e. from towns which have a ruraltype structure. To support this thesis, empirical-statistical results based on surveys at the Medicopsychological Advice Centre for Students at the University of Göttingen are cited. Further, it is shown that a meaningful integration of this statistical data with psychodynamic and sociological findings is possible. The resulting explanatory model illustrates the attempt to make as comprehensive a statement as possible about the structure of the phobia and its cohesion to social mechanisms. The phobia is not only interpreted as an intrapsychic occurence, but at the same time the boundaries to the respective social conditions are also demonstrated and reference is made to the parallelism of social-historical development and corresponding psychic structure.