History & Area Studies / Thematic History / Social & Cultural History

How National Identity Survives Globalization: 15 Shocking Design Histories

Designing Worlds: National Design Histories in an Age of Globalization

Kjetil Fallan, Grace Lees-Maffei

Think national design is dead in a globalized world? Think again. This video unpacks the explosive findings from 'Designing Worlds: National Design Histories in an Age of Globalization' by Kjetil Fallan and Grace Lees-Maffei. We reveal how everyday objects—from African second-hand clothing to Danish furniture made in China, from Jamaican colonial pillars to Mexican-American tacos—are secretly crafting national identities. You'll learn why 'authenticity' is a lie, how colonialism still shapes our homes, and why your favorite 'national' brand is actually a global hybrid. Watch to see the hidden battles over design, power, and belonging that you never knew existed.