Stokoe’s structural analysis identified organized contrasts within American Sign Language signs. Developed with later contributions from Deaf collaborators, it helped challenge treatment of signing as mere gesture. Applying its insight means respecting linguistic expertise and community knowledge while recognizing that modern sign linguistics extends the original framework.
- FamilyModel
- CategoryAnalytical Frameworks, Typologies & Heuristics
- DomainMeaning & Clarity
What these mean
Editorial orientation · Family
Model
In this series, Model names the editorial family primarily used to understand and explain communication: theories, frameworks, effects, traditions, principles and other conceptual resources. It is an umbrella for a route into the field, not a claim that every included object is a predictive model.
Editorial orientation · Category
Analytical Frameworks, Typologies & Heuristics
Organizes dimensions, distinctions, types or questions so that a situation can be examined systematically. A framework supplies structure, a typology distinguishes forms, and a heuristic offers a usable way to orient judgment.