Looking into the culture behind my object was interesting as their reasons for creating it are different or unique compared to modern standards. Yet, it was still interesting to learn about the creation behind my effigy jar and other Mata Ortiz pottery and what their overall purpose and place in the grand scheme of things were. However, it’s important to consider that this object and many others like it are currently in a battle where one side wants these types of artifacts to be returned to their owners, or reside within the museum. The Maxwell Museum claims they are currently in the process of returning some artifacts to their original owners. My object is essentially expressive pottery and (from what I found) wasn’t made as any sort of political, economical, or cultural commentary; the sources I found were inherently only describing the culture itself and did not offer any meaningful positions. As Maxwell Museum demonstrates, there is the question of whether museums should return their artifacts to their rightful owners which is still a highly controversial topic today. It’s important to consider all opinions and not discredit any that seem contrarian as they may have been unconsidered before and may contain some merit towards their stance. When researching I was able to gather information from not only informational websites but also auction pages that would describe Mata Ortiz pottery in great detail. My writing, therefore, is composed of purely informational takes, but also of those willing to sell these artifacts in a climate where many people believe such artifacts should be returned to their rightful owners. I was even able to gather information from a group of people who still create their own Mata Ortiz pottery using traditional methods. These different sources helped me because by considering opinions from all sides helped inadvertently shape my writing to be more inclusive and not blind to unique perspectives.
When researching and getting my sources I made sure to incorporate both sides of the argument in my project. Acknowledging both sides helps to make me more informed on my topic and thereby I’m more knowledgeable when arguing about it. Additionally, talking to other classmates and getting their opinion on my argument helped increase its strength because I was able to see what made them disagree or agree and then include what I previously didn’t have in my position. An example of this helping to strengthen my argument was at first I made a blanket statement that we should increase the use of public transportation in all cities, but after getting feedback from some classmates I was able to narrow it down to using public transportation only in moderate/large cities because having it implemented in rural or small towns isn’t practical. I was able to make my position less extreme and more compromising as a result. Sometimes I fail to consider specific issues against my position and having others who disagree point it out helps me become more informed about my topic even if it doesn’t help my argument since I believe that regardless, knowledge is important.
It was important to me not to ignore someone who disagreed with my stance because their reasoning against my argument may be completely valid. The more debate there is then the more my perspective can increase and therefore the more my argument can be strengthened through counterarguments. Even if I didn’t agree with the opposing stance but their reasoning is valid I felt it worth considering since it may be something I hadn’t considered before. Additionally, I feel as though somewhat acknowledging some drawbacks of my argument makes it more appealing to others since it keeps them more informed and shows I’m blind to opposing views. It’s even better if I have specific counterarguments for these drawbacks.