Introduction: While much of the worldwide contemporary research on sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) and environmental sensitivity (ES) has relied on the participation of university students, there remains a significant gap in understanding the academic social experiences of those scoring high in SPS (i.e., highly sensitive individuals).Methods: To address this gap, this exploratory study aimed to investigate in detail students’ academic socialization through their narratives. We conducted nine interviews with Italian university students who self-identified as highly sensitive.Results: Through thematic reflexive analysis, we identified and analyzed 6 themes (with subthemes and versions of subthemes) concerning their self-definitions, their university experience (in classroom, before, during, and after exams), and socialization with peers and teachers.Discussion: After 20 years of research on SPS, this study integrates the relevant literature into the field of social psychology and academic socialization, emphasizing the importance of understanding SPS within real-life educational contexts and considering highly sensitive students’ perspectives on their resources and challenges in attending university. By contributing to the emerging qualitative literature on SPS and ES, this study provides practical implications for educators and policymakers seeking to foster inclusive learning environments for all students.

Purpose: Framing communities of practice (CoPs) as contexts for learning and identity formation, this study examines the varied group experiences of psychoanalytic trainees. This study aims to understand what, where and how these professionals learn across their landscapes of practice. Design/methodology/approach: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 psychologists enrolled in the final years of a psychotherapy graduate program, based in Rome, Italy, between September and December 2020. Findings: The study shows how professionals’ landscapes of practice emerge from a variety of group experiences – such as family, sports and friendships – which contribute to the development of professional stances, competencies and repertoires. Findings illustrate that workplace learning and individual knowledgeability are not limited to institutional or formal learning environments but instead occur dynamically across various CoPs. Workplace settings frequently act as repositories for these diverse learning experiences, emphasizing the significant role of life events in shaping professional identity and expertise. Research limitations/implications: This study has several limitations. First, it is based solely on interviews with respondents from one educational organization and a single community of practice. To broaden and deepen the understanding of both organizational and learning dynamics, future research could explore different contexts and adopt a mixed-method approach in other countries. Practical implications: The results offer practical insights into how organizations, educational settings and workplaces can benefit from valuing learning that emerges from students’ and novices’ diverse landscapes of practice. These range from “narrative opportunities” – i.e. opportunities to narrate and integrate one’s previous learning experiences into the workplace – to “reflexivity workshops” on workplace learning, which are educational experiences that allow individuals to reflect on their approach to learning (where they have acquired specific knowledge, what gaps exist in their learning) to gain a deeper understanding of its professional application. Originality/value: Contributions come from professionals who, owing to their expertise, are particularly focused on reflecting on group learning. These insights illustrate how even the most unconventional learning experiences, often not traditionally seen as instructive, possess transformative potential as valuable learning opportunities for workplace applications.

Research on alternative care – combined with evidence from family therapy and perspectives from children’s rights debates – robustly demonstrates that a crucial factor influencing the success of alternative care projects is family partnering, that is, maintaining relational continuity with birth families and participating with them, whenever it is judicially approved. However, there is a limited understanding of how this unfolds in practice. To address this gap, this article presents an in-depth ethnographic and conversation analytic study conducted in three group homes in Rome, Italy, aiming to thoroughly analyse interactions with families in light of family partnering. Drawing on ethnographic field notes, environmental documentation and video-recorded dinnertime interactions, in this study we build on Fruggeri’s work (1997, 2005) on the epistemological models of family interaction. Through this analysis, we contribute to the understanding of family partnering by illustrating caregivers’ pivotal role in either promoting or undermining family relational continuity and preventing or increasing children’s alienation. In conclusion, we suggest practical implications for alternative care and propose future avenues for exploring interactions with birth families in greater detail.