Dr Arne Mueller
Research Associate
Qualitative Researcher in the Field of Disability Studies
My profile
Biography
I am a sociologist interested in the interaction of social inequalities. I did my undergraduate degree in sociology at the Free University of Berlin in 2005 and finished my doctoral degree at the University of Cologne in 2016.
Before I became a disability studies researcher, I worked as a personal assistant for people with disabilities for more than eight years. The work as a disability support person triggered my interest in disability research. Since 2007, I worked in multiple academic settings but always connected to the field of disability research.
I consider myself as a qualitative researcher and worked in various international qualitative projects for universities in Germany and Australia. I joined Manchester Metropolitan University in April 2022 to work as a research associate in the Growing Older Planning Ahead Project as well as the Witness to Harm Project.
Interests and expertise
I am interested in the interaction of social inequalities and the effects that horizontal inequalities such as gender, ethnicity or disability have on vertical inequalities such as class or educational outcomes. I am general in favour of qualitative research methodology simply because I am convinced that qualitative research offers the chance to elicit real change for people.
In my PhD, I focused on discrimination against people with disabilities and compared their experiences against those of people without disabilities whilst carefully taking their social background and gender into account. My qualitative analysis was then integrated into the theory of French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu. While all of the participants with disabilities reported some sort of discrimination in their interviews, the scope and frequency of these discriminations varied and appeared strongly connected to their social class background. While people from working class backgrounds more often reported discriminations such as verbal harassments, people from middle class and higher backgrounds considered inaccessible spaces as discriminating against and worth reporting.
Before joining MMU, my recent freelance work in cooperation with the Centre for Disability Studies of the University of Sydney included qualitative research about independent supported living solutions for people with intellectual disabilities as well as to determine a ten-year research agenda for disability research in Australia through qualitative consultation of people with disabilities and their organisations.
Membership of Professional Associations
- British Sociological Association
Research outputs
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Books (authored/edited/special issues)
Müller, A. (2018) Diskriminierung im Kontext von Behinderung, sozialer Lage und Geschlecht. transcript Verlag.
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Chapters in books
Mueller, A. (2017) 'Crip Horizons, the Cultural Model of Disability, and Bourdieu's Political Sociology.' Culture - Theory - Disability Encounters between Disability Studies and Cultural Studies. transcript Verlag,
Mueller, A. (2015) 'Dis/Ability und Prekarität: Inklusion durch Arbeit? Eine Problematisierung des Leistungsprinzips.' Prekarisierungen. Arbeit, Sorge und Politik. Beltz Juventa,
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Reports
Thoresen, S., O'Brien, P., O'Donovan, M.A., Walter, B., Mueller, A., Westermann, G., Whittle, E., Buchanan, A. (2022) Accommodating adults with intellectual disabilities and high support needs in Individual Supported Living arrangements. Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute Limited.
Waldschmidt, A., Mueller, A. Barrierefreie Dienstleistungen. Benachteiligungen von behinderten Menschen beim Zugang zu Dienstleistungen privater Unternehmen.. Berlin: Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency of Germany.
O'Donovan, M.A., Dew, A., Imms, C., Smith-Merry, J., Hemsley, B., Gilroy, J., Meltzer, A., Yen, I., Ellem, K., Mueller, A., Darcy, S., McMahon, T., Spencer, R., Murfitt, K., Guastella, A.J., Plump, J., Carey, G., McVilly, K., O'Shea, A., Gallego, G. (2022) Setting an agenda for disability research in Australia: organisation-led and targeted consultation report. Centre for Disability Research and Policy: The University of Sydney.
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Journal articles
Riches, V., O'Brien, P., Manokara, V., Mueller, A. (2022) 'A study of caregiver support services: perspectives of family caregivers of persons with intellectual disabilities in Singapore.' Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 20(1) pp. 117-131.
Wark, S., Hussain, R., Mueller, A., Parmenter, T. (2022) 'Maintaining quality of life for people with intellectual disabilites during end-of-life in rural areas of Australia.' Research and Practice in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 9(2) pp. 139-151.
Hussain, R., Wark, S., Müller, A., Ryan, P., Parmenter, T. (2019) 'Personal relationships during end-of-life care: Support staff views of issues for individuals with intellectual disability.' Research in Developmental Disabilities, 87pp. 21-30.
Wark, S., McKay, K., Ryan, P., Müller, A. (2018) 'Suicide amongst people with intellectual disability: An Australian online study of disability support staff experiences and perceptions.' Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 62(1) pp. 1-9.
Wark, S., Hussain, R., Müller, A., Ryan, P., Parmenter, T. (2017) 'Challenges in providing end-of-life care for people with intellectual disability: Health services access.' Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 30(6) pp. 1151-1159.
Wark, S., Macphail, C., McKay, K., Müller, A. (2017) 'Informed consent in a vulnerable population group: Supporting individuals aging with intellectual disability to participate in developing their own health and support programs.' Australian Health Review, 41(4) pp. 436-442.