The Post-Feminist World of Beka Cooper

In her quite marvelous thesis, Emily (Lanning) talked about Post-Feminism as something beyond the need for feminism--a society (fictional, of course and unfortunately) where traditional gender roles, perceptions of gender as we understand them, just don't exist (Garth Nix's Old Kingdom, just for instance). She initially speculated that perhaps Beka Cooper's Tortall (created by Tamora Pierce, a woman, btw) is such a place.  I'm now midway through book two (I can tell you that I am 55% through the book, but I can't tell you the exact name of the book because I'm reading it on my groovy new Kindle! [Is that product placement?  Should I demand compensation?]) and I can see how Beka's not-entirely-but-pretty-close-to-post-feminist society is about to fall into the dark abyss of patriarchy, the dark abyss that will eventually lead Lady Alanna to cut her hair, bind her breasts, and call herself 'Alan' in order to follow her dream of becoming a knight.  Interesting.  This means that EMILY had better read those books while she's jaunting about overseas, and post something here to address this burning issue.