These 'gardeners' of society make progress in one place, lose ground in another. This consciousness-raising is a gradual process, and parallels the elevation of general knowledge and education. Prescriptive linguists, those who would raise consciousness by steering the evolution of language, are among the most daring and optimistic of social engineers. P.C. is part of the equation. The deeper work of eliminating cruelty and instilling kindness depends on many things.
Prosperity is one.
When people don't have to grovel to survive, they can develop their consciousness. Poverty is the medium in which hatred and cold-blooded oppression thrives. But it is not constrained to economic poverty. Spiritual poverty among society's powerful is starkly apparent. Governments tacitly permit genocide in Mexico, Algeria, Africa, Palestine, Russia, China - the list goes on and on.