Self, Materiality, and National Identity: The Dilemma of Authenticity Among Millennial Industrial Designers in China

Abstract

By analyzing the discourse relating to the dilemma of authenticity among millennial industrial designers in China, the major objective of this thesis is to gain insights into the values, beliefs, practices, and ethics of the design community under investigation. This study has shown that, first, the locus of authenticity and self could be contested between individuals depending on the cultural backgrounds. Second, the boundary between copy and authenticity in design is ambiguous; further, a contested authenticity between materiality and objects could be examined with combining the constructivist and materialist approach. Third, designers hold an essentialist view on the Chinese tradition and in the pursuit of an authentic national design identity, even though the authenticity is constructive in nature. This research contributes to the emerging field of design anthropology from a non-western perspective.