Substantiate the claim that culture is an instrument in the process of gender construction.

Culture directly influences gender identity and construction. The construction of gender identity can be observed early on in the child-rearing process. The color the baby's room is painted, the types of clothing and toys that are purchased for the baby, and the ways in which parents interact with the baby all typically have a strong gendered component.

Political and economic structures also work to influence and construct gender identity. The traditional division between public work...

Culture directly influences gender identity and construction. The construction of gender identity can be observed early on in the child-rearing process. The color the baby's room is painted, the types of clothing and toys that are purchased for the baby, and the ways in which parents interact with the baby all typically have a strong gendered component.

Political and economic structures also work to influence and construct gender identity. The traditional division between public work (e.g., a career, working "outside the home") and private labor (e.g. housework, child-rearing) is a fundamental division of labor that goes to the heart of gendered identity. Even as women have entered the workforce and men have assumed more engaged roles as fathers and homemakers, the marked stereotypes of "women's work" vs. "men's work" continue to exist. 

Different cultures produce different gender norms and identities. One historic example of the influence of culture on gender is the Israeli Kibbutz experiment. This radical experiment in social equality is held as an example of the way in which a cultural framework of egalitarianism and collective ownership can produce different gender norms than hierarchical society.Yet, the Kibbutz experiment also shows us just how deeply rooted gender norms are, and how cultural practices can subtly influence gender identity even without overt appeals to gender roles or gender hierarchy.