This dissertation bridges the divide between comparative education and international education literature by examining student experiences in study abroad programs to make theoretical arguments about the role of culture in "doing" and "undoing" gender. The "undoing gender" framework in comparative education literature shifts the focus of sociological gender construction theories from the production of gender to its dismantling through educational programs and practices. This ethnographic study investigates how U.S. undergraduates enrolled in universities in Mexico question and in some cases, reify narratives of masculinity and femininity from back home as they confront variations in everyday expressions of gender among their peers. It explores and answers the central question, how do U.S. undergraduate participants in study abroad programs in Mexico experience and engage with the cultural production of gender? By asking how students experience the cultural production of gender, I sought to understand the role that cultural norms and practices around gender played in their academic and social lives in Mexico. Given these experiences, by asking how students engage with the cultural production of gender, I analyzed how they acted and discussed their actions related to gendered norms and practices. Empirical findings contribute to three bodies of scholarship--student learning in study abroad, undoing gender in educational settings, and the production of gender in higher education. Data includes the following: 150 hours of ethnographic observations collected over a six months of attending classes, orientations field trips, academic and social gatherings, and campus and nearby spaces; 83 interviews with 47 U.S. undergraduate students enrolled at one of the three universities in Puebla, Mexico; and analysis of program documents, including student handbooks, posters, and websites, as well as student authored materials. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]