Kaderen

Kaderen is a Dutch verb with several related uses that share the core idea of a frame, boundary, or core group. The primary senses are to place something within a frame or boundary, to frame a picture or scene; and to define or structure something within a given framework. In addition, kaderen can refer to forming or supplying a cadre, or core group, of people within an organization or project.

In visual arts and photography, kaderen means to compose and position subjects within the frame of the image or screen. The act involves deciding what is included or excluded and how elements relate to each other spatially, thereby shaping the viewer’s perception of the scene.

In discourse and analysis, kaderen is used to describe framing a problem, issue, or discussion. This entails specifying the context, scope, perspective, and boundaries, which influence how information is interpreted and what questions are considered relevant.

In organizational and political contexts, kaderen can denote forming or supplying a cadre—an appointed or selected group of staff and leaders who form the core of an organization. The related noun kader or kaders refers to this group and to the broader regime of personnel within an institution.

Etymology and usage: kaderen derives from the noun kader, borrowed from French cadre meaning frame or framework. The concept persists in Dutch as both a physical framing and an abstract framing of contexts or groups.

See also: kader, framing, cadre, framing in research.