THE IDEOLOGICAL FEATURES OF RAPE CRISIS CENTERS AS A GRASSROOTS PHENOMENON IN THE 1970'S ARE DESCRIBED AND ANALYZED IN LIGHT OF THEIR COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL BACKGROUNDS. THE SPEICAL PROCESSES WHICH LED TO DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS AND SERVICE DELIVERY AMONG VARIOUS CENTERS ARE ALSO DESCRIBED. BECAUSE OF LACK OF SUMMARIZED AND PUBLISHED DATA, A STUDY ON CENTERS IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA WAS CONDUCTED, WITH INFORMATION GATHERED THROUGH INTERVIEWS WITH CENTER STAFF MEMBERS, ANALYSIS OF PUBLIHSED INFORMATION, AND PERSONAL OBSERVATION. THE CENTERS' CHARACTERISTICS AND SERVICES WERE STUDIED FROM A FRAMEWORK OF THEIR SOURCES, PROCESSES OF INSTITUTIONALIZATION, CREATION OF INTERNAL STRUCTURES, AND DEVELOPMENT OF SERVICES. THE CENTERS PROVIDE DIRECT SERVICES TO VICTIMS, PUBLIC EDUCATION, COLLECTIVE ACTION WHICH RAISES A CRITIQUE ON SOCIETY'S APPROACH TO WOMEN AND RAPE VICTIMS. CENTERS COMBINE THIS CRITIQUE WITH NEGOTIATIONS AND ACTIONS TO CHANGE NORMS, LAWS, AND SERVICE ARRANGEMENTS. THE IDEOLOGICAL ARGUMENT WITHIN A PARTICULAR CRISIS CENTER MAY FOCUS ON THE BALANCE OF PRIORITIES BETWEEN DIRECT SERVICE AND SOCIAL CRITIQUE. IN SPITE OF THESE INTERNAL DIFFERENCES, THE CENTERS ALL DEVELOPED WAYS TO MINIMIZE THE STRIFE AND EXECUTE THEIR PROGRAMS. AMONG THE COMMON IDEOLOGIES DISCUSSED ARE THE OCCURRENCE OF RAPE AS THE OUTCOME OF A MALE DOMINATED WORLD, RAPE AS A WOMEN'S ISSUE TO BE DEALT WITH ONLY BY WOMEN, AND THE ASSUMPTION THAT WOMEN MUST BE TRAINED IN SELF-DEFENSE RATHER THAN RELY ONLY ON THE PROTECTION OF MEN. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (RFC)