Social constructionism is a way of understanding all sorts of ideas, beliefs, and practices that people follow within a society. With its focus on how society shapes behaviors, values, and attitudes, social constructionism can be accurately described using synonyms like social constructivism, social construction, and social reality theory. Other fitting alternatives for the term social constructionism are cultural constructivism, symbolic interactionism, and cognitive sociology. Some may even use the term social constructionism interchangeably with the phrase "cultural understanding" or "socio-cultural theory." Regardless of which term is used, they all point to the power of society in shaping how we see ourselves and make meaning out of the world around us.