 - Emic Knowledge was the folk, lay or generic knowledge that was present in a culture

- Etic Knowledge was the professional or medical knowledge present within the culture and from the outsider perspective

These two types of knowledge intertwined to determine how culture was viewed within the indigenous society and how outside providers would react to it.It was imperative to Leininger that nurses understand specifically the Emic knowledge to have a better understanding of what could be done to tailor nursing care to be more culturally appropriate.