Espa¤a: Lecturas interculturales presents a kaleidoscope of contemporary news articles on controversial issues from Spain"s premier newspaper, El Pa¡s. A selection of excerpts from related articles broadens the context of the main topic and offers insights into the status of crucial social concerns in today"s Spain, implicitly suggesting a coherent vision of this important European country. Readers will revisit many familiar issues that have been hot-button concerns in North America as well, but are presented in this reader filtered through the defamiliarizing lens of another culture. Topics include: religion in modern society, the state of the family, women"s rights, sexual harassment, media influence on body image, gay marriage, drug abuse, illegal immigrants, ethnic minorities, and changing expectations about standards of living. Many excellent examples of native language illustrate its usage and grammar as they naturally occur in the articles. Chapter questions test comprehension of the article and help foster discussions that reach beyond the specific texts, often highlighting the cross-cultural comparisons that will naturally occur to readers. Translations of selected vocabulary words are provided on a chapter-by-chapter basis.