"To put it bluntly: is the glorification of individual choice simply an ideology that justifies modern capitalism?"
I would say so. I was raised in a "communist" country -- Romania, and I didn't hear anything about it until I came to the U.S. I don't remember missing anything without it. It is all but forgotten that socialism was capable of breaking traditional gender and class roles outside of the humbug of "choice."
Of course, many who equate choice with capitalism, will point out that women/men having the choice of work, occupations, etc., is a good thing. But ultimately to choose between different forms of slavery is meaningless. I'd even go so far as to say that to choose to be a master rather than a slave is meaningless. The apparent "choice" of "careers" and "lifestyles" is the bright, shiny face of a labor market that may or may not choose me, and in which my actions may or may not translate into any kind of benefit for the whole.
Joanna