Final answer:
The book "Patterns of Culture" explores the diverse cultural lives across the globe, providing a comprehensive view of historical and modern cultures intertwined through time. It seeks to correct the Eurocentric bias found in many historical texts and emphasizes the significance of all civilizations in contributing to human progress and the arts.
Step-by-step explanation:
The book "Patterns of Culture" is about understanding the cultural lives of various peoples around the world and recognizing the significance of cultural practices throughout history. It challenges the standard approach of viewing each culture as isolated and independent, highlighting how cultural practices are interlinked and have evolved over time. The book also aims to address today's stereotypes about different civilizations by emphasizing the broad spectrum of contributions across cultures and the impact of different religions on art and society.
From the rich history of the Tang elite, with their government, writing, ritual, arts, and personal behavior, to the profound analysis of the everyday life in 'Middletown: A Study in Modern American Culture', the book encourages readers to see culture as a continuum and as the Way by aligning humanity with the cosmos. It helps in creating a comprehensive view of cultures, including but not limited to Greek, Roman, Nok, Qin, Yayoi, Nazca, and Moche civilizations around 200 CE. Furthermore, it aims to balance the representation of non-European cultures, which have been historically sidelined, and reduce the biased perceptions derived from colonial and Eurocentric narratives.