  We use the quantum kinematic approach to revisit geometric phases associated
with polarizing processes of a monochromatic light wave. We give the
expressions of geometric phases for any, unitary or non-unitary, cyclic or
non-cyclic transformations of the light wave state. Contrarily to the usually
considered case of absorbing polarizers, we found that a light wave passing
through a polarizer may acquire in general a non zero geometric phase. This
geometric phase exists despite the fact that initial and final polarization
states are in phase according to the Pancharatnam criterion and can not be
measured using interferometric superposition. Consequently, there is a
difference between the Pancharatnam phase and the complete geometric phase
acquired by a light wave passing through a polarizer. We illustrate our work
with the particular example of total reflection based polarizers.
