How to use the twython.compat.str function in twython

try:
                if function.iter_mode == 'id':
                    # Set max_id in params to one less than lowest tweet id
                    if hasattr(function, 'iter_metadata'):
                        # Get supplied next max_id
                        metadata = content.get(function.iter_metadata)
                        if 'next_results' in metadata:
                            next_results = urlsplit(metadata['next_results'])
                            params = dict(parse_qsl(next_results.query))
                        else:
                            # No more results
                            raise StopIteration
                    else:
                        # Twitter gives tweets in reverse chronological order:
                        params['max_id'] = str(int(content[-1]['id_str']) - 1)
                elif function.iter_mode == 'cursor':
                    params['cursor'] = content['next_cursor_str']
            except (TypeError, ValueError):  # pragma: no cover
                raise TwythonError('Unable to generate next page of search \
                                   results, `page` is not a number.')
            except (KeyError, AttributeError):  #pragma no cover
                raise TwythonError('Unable to generate next page of search \
                                   results, content has unexpected structure.')

def encode(text):
        if is_py2 and isinstance(text, (str)):
            return Twython.unicode2utf8(text)
        return str(text)

if method == 'get' or method == 'delete':
            requests_args['params'] = params
        else:
            # Check for json_encoded so we will sent params as "data" or "json"
            if json_encoded:
                data_key = 'json'
            else:
               data_key = 'data'
            requests_args.update({
                data_key: params,
                'files': files,
            })
        try:
            response = func(url, **requests_args)
        except requests.RequestException as e:
            raise TwythonError(str(e))

        # create stash for last function intel
        self._last_call = {
            'api_call': api_call,
            'api_error': None,
            'cookies': response.cookies,
            'headers': response.headers,
            'status_code': response.status_code,
            'url': response.url,
            'content': response.text,
        }

        # greater than 304 (not modified) is an error
        if response.status_code > 304:
            error_message = self._get_error_message(response)
            self._last_call['api_error'] = error_message

def unicode2utf8(text):
        try:
            if is_py2 and isinstance(text, str):
                text = text.encode('utf-8')
        except:
            pass
        return text