Culture consists not only of behaviors and practices, but also of deeply held beliefs about what is right, appropriate, and acceptable and what is wrong, inappropriate and unacceptable. It is important to recognize that culture is learned - it is neither something we are born with nor something that we create on our own. Culture is passed from generation to generation, in the words and actions of parents, teachers, and fellow community members. It is so deeply rooted inside our minds and hearts that we often cannot imagine a world in which our values, the way we define right and wrong, could possibly be thought of any other way. Conflict arises when two cultures with very different, or sometimes just mildly different, worldviews interact.

Cultura nu se compune doar din comportament şi practici ale acestuia. Ea înglobează anumite stereotipuri ale binelui, acceptabilului şi, invers, ale răului şi non-acceptabilului. Cultura este ceva ce se învaţă de la persoanele mai în vârstă: părinţi, dascăli, dar şi de la societatea în ansamblu. Conflictul cultural apare atunci când, cel puţin, două culturi opuse vin în contact.